


Rage, Rage Against The Dying Of The Light

by noviceliterati



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alive Hale Family, Alpha Derek Hale, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe, BAMF Stiles, Bitchy Talia Hale, But not the leads..so yeah, Character Death, Derek Hale/ OMC - Freeform, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Good Peter Hale, Hacking, Heavy Angst, Humans with A/B/O dynamics, M/M, Misunderstandings, Omega Stiles Stilinski, Politics, Rape/Non-con Elements, Slow Build Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski, but nothing serious, jackson whittemore - but pretty OOC I guess, some violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-04-18 14:39:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 58
Words: 133,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4709684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noviceliterati/pseuds/noviceliterati
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles Stilinski is an omega who's had to learn to survive in a tough world. But what happens when a man extends his hand to help the omega? After the world has been so cruel, Stiles finds it hard to trust anybody...can he trust this man?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi guys, I honestly thought I'd be taking a break after the last fic but surprisingly I found myself writing this so...enjoy I guess :-) 
> 
> Please be warned, this first chapter may contain elements that some find triggering. I have listed everything I can think of atm in the tags but please let me know if something should be added. So, with that said, I hope you enjoy this and I welcome your comments. 
> 
> This work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)
> 
> P.S. ANGST

The first time there'd been a seismic shift in his life he'd been 8. He'd found his father sitting in the dark with a half empty bottle of Scotch in one hand and his mother's wedding ring in the other. He hadn't understood the look of utter devastation on his father's face then, but as the days passed and his mother didn't come home, understanding began to dawn. He remembered wiping the sweat from his father's brow with small hands as his father shook and shuddered; suffering the after effects of losing his mate. Watching his beloved father morph into a weak, broken man had hardened his heart; while he hated his mother for abandoning her omega and running off with that asshole Harris, he almost hated his father more for succumbing to the weakness of his physiology. The day his mother left had been the day he'd left his carefree youth behind him as his days filled with caring for his father. He made sure his father was clothed and fed, and ensured that he took his meds on time so as to never feel the stabbing pain of an abandoned omega. He'd been 8, but his young shoulders had almost broken under the strain of the weight he carried. 

The second time there'd been a seismic shift in his life he'd been 12. He remembered opening the front door to the tiny apartment and instantly realising something wasn't right. Two minutes later he'd found his father passed out on the bathroom floor, an empty bottle of sleeping pills resting loosely in his palm. His father's pale face and cool skin had caused his heart to race and his hands had trembled as he dialled 911. Later, the doctor had told him that his father had been lucky; that if he'd been brought to the ER any later, he would have died. He'd stared blankly as the doctor explained the ins and outs of the care required for his father now that he was partially paralysed, and he felt his shoulders stoop just a little more. His 12 year old mind had shut down as the doctor had led him in to see his father, wrapped in a sterile white blanket atop a hospital bed, sedated, and ironically, looking more at peace than he'd been in a long time. Three days later, when the nurse had wheeled his father down the hall into the elevator, she'd handed him 'omega care' pamphlets with a sympathetic smile and a pat to the shoulder. As he stood outside the doors of the hospital waiting for a taxi to pick them up, he'd crumpled the pamphlets in his hand and thrown them in a trash can. His father may have been 'forsaken' (fucking omega pamphlets) by his bitch of a mother but he wasn't alone. He would never leave his father. 

The third time there'd been a seismic shift in his life he'd been 14. He'd come home after a 9 hour shift at the local meat packing factory and grabbed his father's meds from the kitchen cabinet before opening the bedroom door. When he'd touched a hand to his father's shoulder to rouse him from his sleep, his father's rigid body had rolled over heavily and he'd frozen. His father's once bright blue eyes had stared at him accusingly, dull and lifeless, and for the first time in 6 years, he'd cried. 

With the last of their money used for his father's burial, he'd sat alone by the graveside as the rain pelted him, and wondered what he was supposed to do. He was 14, he had no money, his mother had abandoned him and his father was dead...what the hell was he supposed to do? He had no idea how long he sat in the pouring rain, only that by the time he left the cemetery, he still had no idea what the future held for him.  
By the time he returned to their small apartment, he was soaked to the skin and felt numb; physically and emotionally. He'd rummaged around the wardrobe and clutched his father's shirt to his chest before laying stiffly on the bed as his body trembled; in fear and grief. He was 14 when he realised he was truly alone in the world. 

The fourth time there'd been a seismic shift in his life he'd been 15. He'd woken up sweating and parched at the back of the meat packing factory and clutched his stomach as his body spasmed. He'd thrown the thin blanket from his body and gritted his teeth as a scream threatened to escape his mouth. He'd been 15 and terrified that he was dying. It hadn't been until he felt the backs of his thighs dampen and his lower body heat as though flames licked at him, that he'd finally realised what was happening. When the first rays of sunlight filtered through the grimy windows of the factory, he'd collected his meagre possessions from his locker and run. After all, the factory was no place for an omega. 

*********************

1 year later: 

Stiles' thin frame shivered as the ice cold wind penetrated the thin layers of his clothing and burned his skin. He stamped his feet and rubbed his hands together to try to generate some warmth but grimaced as another gust of wind pounded his body. The winter months were always the hardest but he needed work if he wanted to be able to afford next month's suppressants. And that was why he was stood in a dark alley, in a sketchy neighbourhood, at midnight, in the middle of the worst fucking winter in 3 years. Stiles checked his watch and swore as he realised he'd been waiting for 20 minutes. He wasn't proud of what he was about to do but there was no way he was going through heat while crashing at the local shelter. No fucking way. 

He snapped his head up as he heard a sound to his right and took a deep breath as he saw two men walking towards him. As they neared, he stared enviously at their thick jackets and even thicker gloves. The bigger of the two reached into his jeans for a cigarette before fishing out a lighter from his jacket pocket. As he lit the cigarette, Stiles saw his face in the light of the flame and flinched. This was not a man to be fucked with; if the huge frame and arrogant air weren't enough to convince him, then the scarred face and cruel eyes he saw in the light of the flame most definitely were. The man took a drag of the cigarette before blowing rings of smoke into the icy air. 

"You Stiles? " he asked, fixing his eyes on him. Stiles pulled his thin pullover tightly around him and nodded. The man looked him up and down before taking another drag of the cigarette. 

"You ain't what I pictured." Stiles narrowed his gaze and clenched his jaw. What the fuck was it to this guy what he looked like? Deciding he'd had enough of this bullshit, he stepped forward and met the man's eyes directly. 

"Moe said you had some pills you needed moving? I can do that. I'm young and pretty harmless looking so I can move them where you want, whenever you want, without getting hassled by the cops...I've done it before." That was a lie; he'd never done anything like this. In the year since his father's death, he'd done many things to survive; clean houses, clean motels, pack boxes, work at the dump, pick fucking fruit...but drugs? Never drugs; it was dangerous and the cons far outweighed the pros in his opinion. This month though...this month he was desperate; his heat was due to start in 3 weeks and he had no suppressants. Desperate times call for desperate measures, and Stiles was desperate. 

The man leered at him and licked his lips. "You got one thing right, you sure are pretty." The smaller man behind him laughed and turned his beady eyes on Stiles.

"You know, Kev's right, you ain't too bad to look at....bet you'd look even better on your knees" he jeered as the bigger man; Kev he presumed, flicked his spent cigarette to the ground and smiled at him.

"Steve's right pretty boy, you'd sure look good on your knees...pretty pink mouth filled and stretched...hmmm" Stiles watched in distaste as the man adjusted himself and groaned. "You need money, right kid? How about we forget the pills and I give you 10 bucks to suck me off? Bend that pretty ass over and I'll throw in another 20." 

Stiles recoiled and swallowed the bile that hit the back of his throat. He knew what he looked like and this wasn't exactly the first time he'd been propositioned by some sick fuck, but these guys didn't look like they were about to take no for an answer. The bigger man unzipped and reached into the opening of his jeans as he stepped forward. Stiles backed away until his back hit the chain link fence at the end of the alley. 

"I don't do that shit...I'm just here for the pills" he said in a tightly controlled voice, back to the fence. The man pulled out his dick and slowly stroked himself as he got closer and closer. 

"You know kid...that was a retorimal question. Now, get on your knees and open up like a good little bitch." 

Stiles almost puked as he saw precome leak from the man's erect dick. He looked beyond the bigger man to see the smaller, weasel like guy behind him already unbuckling his belt. He breathed deeply, shoved his hands into the pocket of his pullover and curled his hand around his knives. He quietly watched the bigger man unbutton his jacket and move forward until he stood a foot away. 

"Come on boy...open up for daddy." 

Stiles stiffened and his fear scurried away as cold, hard anger swept over him. Tightening his hold around the knives in his pocket, he stepped forward and dropped to his knees as the man above him groaned and pulled at his hair. 

"That's it ba-aaaarrrggghh" the man above him screamed as blood poured from the open wound where his penis used to reside. Stiles jumped up and kicked the man's knees so he fell to the floor, before kicking away the now limp member by his foot and turning to the smaller man. The smaller man paled as he saw the blood bathe the lower half of his companion's body. Stiles stepped forward with both knives held in front of him and edged around the weasel like man to the opening of the alley. 

Stiles saw the smaller man turn toward him and rush forward with a snarl. He held the larger knife tightly and ducked under the man's clawing hands before spinning and striking the man in the back. The man screamed and tried uselessly to reach for the knife lodged in his back. Stiles kicked the man to the floor, and slowly pulled out his knife before wiping the bloody knife clean on the man's thick jacket. 

As the men lay groaning on the floor, Stiles wiped his face clean of blood with the sleeve of his pullover and walked away. Finally stepping into the open street, he took a deep breath and pocketed the knives. He turned back to the two men in the alley and looked to the bigger man lying pale in a pool of blood. 

"By the way asshole, it's rhetorical." 

Stiles pulled off his bloody pullover and threw it in a dumpster as he jogged back to the shelter. He was gonna fucking murder Moe when he found him. Not only had tonight nearly ended up with him being used as a chew toy by two drug pushers, he hadn't made any money, and that was not acceptable. His heat was 3 weeks away and he would get those fucking suppressants...no matter what it took. 

 

TBC.......


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles tries to find the money to buy his suppressants....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, here's another chapter for you guys. I hope you're enjoying the story so far and thank you for your kudos and comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

"Sorry kid, I got nothin'...it's been pretty empty, what with the cold an' all." 

The obese, balding motel manager was inexplicably sweating in the freezing cold, and Stiles watched a bead of sweat roll down his ruddy cheek before dripping onto his shirt. Despite his less than appealing appearance, the manager; Dave, was a good guy and Stiles had hoped to earn a few bucks, off the books, doing a little light housekeeping. He'd worked at the Wayside Motel before; the rooms were small, the work was undemanding, and Dave would always slip a few extra bucks into his pay at the end of the day. Dave patted his shoulder in apology and heaved his considerable weight back around the reception desk. 

"You can try again in a couple of weeks, I think Rosa said she was heading out to meet her kid up in Wyoming for a week or so...I could probably use you then." Stiles rubbed the back of his neck and hung his head. Two weeks. He didn't have two weeks. It had been twelve days since that night in the alley and he hadn't been able to make more than $60 in that time. The suppressants cost upwards of $250 so he had nine days to make $190, which was....fucking impossible. Stiles felt panic wash over him at the thought of spending an unmedicated heat at the shelter. He pictured himself sweating and writhing on the thin mattress provided by the shelter as his body pumped out 'come fuck me' pheromones and slick ran down his thighs. He could almost feel the violation of strange hands grasping at his body...spreading his legs...and all while his weak, pathetic omega body begged for it in the fog of heat. Stiles steadied himself against the frame of the door as the images assaulted his mind. He beat away the panic and fear and pulled himself to his full height. There was no fucking way he was going to let that happen. He may be a fucking omega but he was far from weak. 

"Dave, I'll do anything man. I need to make some money fast...please, help me out." Dave shook his chubby face and shrugged. 

"I'm serious kid, I got nothing, I'm sorry...you know I'd help you out if I could but this winter's been hard on all of us. I'm sorry." Stiles nodded in resignation and thanked him as he walked out of the reception area. He shoved his hands into his jeans and braced himself against the icy wind. The roads were dirty and wet and he made sure to walk back to the shelter slowly; the last thing he needed was for his only pair of jeans to rip if he fell on his ass. 

************************

Stiles opened the door to the shelter and shuddered as a cold drop of water rolled down under his collar. Fucking rain! Ten minutes away from the shelter and the heavens had opened and soaked his skinny ass with water so cold, he could barely feel his fingers anymore. He ran past the administrator's office and up the stairs to the communal bathroom, where he stripped off his shirt and toweled himself dry. 

Wrapping the towel around his shoulders, he walked to the room where he slept and reached for the plastic bag laying near 'his' mattress. He pulled out a greying tshirt that would've been considered too small for him two years ago, and pulled it on, stretching it as much as he could. His jeans were still soaked but there was nothing he could do about that, so he towel dried the jeans as best he could and pulled on an old, woolen knitted hat. A knock at the door startled him and he turned to find Amanda; the shelter administrator, standing at the door, smiling. 

"Sorry to bother you Stiles, but I thought you'd want to know that Moe was looking for you earlier. I told him that you were still around and that you'd probably be back before it got dark." He frowned. What the hell was that asshole doing back? And why was he looking for him? 

When he'd returned to the shelter after that night in the alley, he'd been angry to find that Moe had left the shelter and taken Stiles' clothes with him. Hence the one pair of jeans. The dipshit had also stolen $50 and his ID, so what the fuck was he doing coming back here, asking for him?

"Did he say what he wanted?" he asked the smiling administrator. The woman shrugged. 

"Not really, but Moe and his cousins seemed anxious to talk to you." Stiles felt his heart stop. Moe didn't have any family; it was the one thing they'd bonded over; being sad and alone. Which begged the question; what cousins? He forced a smile and nodded at Amanda. 

"Right, of course...his cousins. Let me guess, the idiot brought Matt with him..." he rolled his eyes for show as his heart pounded. Amanda pursed her lips and furrowed her brow in concentration. 

"Hmm, I'm not sure about a Matt but I think I heard him call one guy...Steve? Yeah Steve...small thin guy, with a goatee?" Stiles swallowed and nodded even as his heart raced and his vision swam. Amanda smiled one last time and jogged down the stairs. Small guy with a goatee named Steve? Fuck! It was the weasel looking bastard from the alley, he was sure of it. Stiles closed his eyes and tried to calm his ragged breathing; panicking would get him nowhere, he had to calm down and think. 

As soon as he felt his breathing return to normal, he gathered his meagre possessions and stuffed them into the plastic bag holding his rain soaked shirt. The clock on the wall showed that it was nearing four as he lifted a floorboard beside his bed and removed a small black box from the space beneath it. Stiles opened the box and checked its' contents before removing one of the items and shoving the box into the plastic bag beside his clothes. The grease from the gun he'd removed from the box dirtied his hands, but he ignored it as he checked the safety before tucking in into the waist band of his jeans. 

Stiles checked the room one last time and satisfied that he had everything, walked to the bathroom and opened the cabinet beneath the sink. He reached for the wrench taped to the back of the pipe and ripped off the tape before unscrewing the bolt from the top of the pipe. The bolt hung loosely and he stood before kicking the pipe and closing the cabinet doors. Water burst through the doors and puddled on the tiled floor. He pocketed the wrench and closed the bathroom door before walking down the stairs.

Stiles dropped the plastic bag outside the administrator's office and plastered a look of panicked concern on his face. 

"Amanda! Oh, thank god you're here! There's water everywhere in the bathroom! I tried to stop it but I can't. You have to go check." Amanda swore and bolted past him before running up the stairs, already screaming the janitors name. Stiles grabbed his bag and closed the door to the office. He looked around the office and assessed the usefulness of the items he found. His eyes fell on Amanda's purse and he hesitated. Should he take it? He looked out of the office window at the rain still lashing against the street and came to a decision. It was freezing and wet, and he had only $60 to his name; fuck it, Amanda could handle the loosing a few dollars. 

Stiles fished out her wallet and removed the $50 he found there, before pulling on her thick gloves, her scarf, and her jacket. Sorry Amanda, he apologised mentally, but I'm gonna need these more than you tonight. He opened the office door to hear a cacophony of noise coming from the floor above, and ran to the kitchen. He thanked god that it was a Sunday and the place was deserted, as he pulled open the cabinets and threw whatever non perishable food stuffs he could find into his bag. Opening the fridge, he grabbed a large bottle of water, shoved in into the now bulging plastic bag, and tied the handles of the bag into a knot. 

Stiles zipped up the big, puffy jacket and moved toward the front door. He froze as he saw Moe through the glass doors, talking over his shoulder as he reached for the door handle. The familiar face of the weasel like Steve appeared behind Moe and Stiles ran back into the kitchen at the end of the hall and hid behind the open door; body tucked tightly against the wood panelled wall. 

He quieted his breathing and listened as Moe directed Steve and two other large, muscular men up the stairs before following behind them. Stiles pushed off the wall and slowly peered around the open door. The hallway stood empty and he tightened his hold on the plastic bag. He steeled himself and ran out the kitchen and down the hallway to the front doors. He heard Moe shout his name from the top of the stairs but ignored it and yanked open the doors before running out into the rain. 

Stiles didn't look back, he didn't look around; he focused on the path ahead of him and pushed his body to move forward as fast as he could. The rain stopped and the sky cleared as he rounded a corner and ran towards a brightly lit store up ahead.  
His body trembled with exhaustion as he pushed past an old woman and ran into the store, not stopping until he reached the other end of the enormous store. Stiles collapsed against a wall and slid to the floor as his chest heaved and he tried to breathe. He pulled his knees in and rested his head on his hands as he felt the beginnings of a panic attack.

In, one, two, three....out, one, two, three....in, one, two, three....out, one, two, three. Stiles heard his father's voice as he breathed in and out, and finally, he felt his body calm. He leaned his head back against the wall and opened his eyes to see a woman with two young children watching him warily. 

"Mummy, the omega smells funny." The young girl scrunched her nose and turned to her horrified mother. Stiles recoiled as he realised what the girl was smelling; the start of his heat. It wasn't strong yet but now that he paid attention, he could smell the subtle fragrance of his heat in the air. Fuck! He'd thought he had more time! Omegas only went into heat twice a year and the last time, he'd been able to scrimp enough money together to buy the suppressants. He'd forgotten how his scent would change in the days leading up to the heat. Fuck!

The woman clutched her children to her sides as though he was some kind of pervert and glared at him. "You should be ashamed of yourself, going out in public in that state!" she spat before trouncing off with her children. 

Ugh, he fucking hated those kinds of self righteous bitches. So what if he smelled of heat? It wasn't his fucking fault, take it up with the creator lady! Stiles sighed and looked around the store. He was sat by a eight piece garden furniture set that had been placed atop fake grass. Beyond that, he saw gardening paraphernalia and then camping gear, which included a display of a 'state of the art' camping tent. 'Large enough to hold four!' the big red sign above it boasted. 

Stiles saw shoppers gather their grocery bags and leave the store as uniformed store employees closed the registers for the day. He saw the darkness outside through the glass of the store doors and glanced back at the tent...fully erected in the warm, dry store. 

Well...he'd always wanted to try camping. 

 

TBC.........


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles bunks down for the night in the deserted store....but is it safe?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I couldn't sleep so I wrote another chapter. ..yay..she said exhausted :-) 
> 
> Anyway, fair warning some serious noncon toward the end of the chapter so if that's not your thing...SKIP...
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Stiles snuck into the tent and slowly closed the zipper as the store employees moved around outside and closed up shop. He clutched his plastic bag to his chest and curled into the far corner of the tent, trying his best to keep quiet. Eventually the lights outside the tent dimmed and he breathed a sigh of relief as he heard the doors slam shut. Stiles lay down on the floor of the tent and considered his next step; returning to the shelter was obviously out of the question. Not only had he stolen from Amanda but Steve the weasal would know where to find him. He shuddered as he imagined the kind of retribution Steve the weasal and his two muscular friends would rain down upon him. 

He considered going back home and begging for his job at the meat packing factory but discarded the idea almost as soon as he finished thinking it. He'd run for a reason; an omega in a primarily alpha dominated environment like that was just asking for trouble, especially if the omega was a 16 year old virgin....just ripe for the picking. Shit! What was he going to do? The darkness inside the tent began to choke him and he clawed at the zipper before falling out of the small opening and onto the synthetic grass. Taking a deep breath in the open space of the empty store, he pushed off the grass and swept his gaze across the perimeter of the ceiling. He spotted a number of cameras but smiled as he noticed the lack of wiring. Aahh...the old dummy camera trick; cheap and almost always an effective deterrent. Marvelling at his luck, Stiles wandered around the store and quickly picked up a bag of chips to munch on. 

He screwed around with the toys in the kids aisle for a half hour before getting bored and walking over to the books on the far side of the store. As he neared the book stand, he saw a blue light to the left of the stand and frowned. Wondering what the blue light could possibly be, considering all the other lights in the place had been dimmed as soon as the store closed, he walked around the display of books toward the light. Stiles stopped breathing and his mouth dropped open when he saw the source of the light. 

The pharmacy sign glowed a bright blue in the dark store and the low hum of the tube lighting called to him like a siren song. Stiles jumped over the counter and stepped toward the pharmacy storage cabinets with bated breath. His eyes moved quickly over the various medications until they stopped at the white bottle on the highest shelf in the fourth cabinet. Stiles reached for the cabinet handle with trembling hands. He closed his eyes and muttered a prayer under his breath before pulling gently on the handle. The snick of the glass door opening reverberated in the silent store and Stiles opened his eyes. 

He stared at the open door in disbelief. This couldn't be real...he must be dreaming, he thought, and pinched his arm. He felt the sting of the pinch and froze. He wasn't dreaming....this was real. Holy shit! Stiles felt hope flutter in his chest for the first time in over 8 years and the alien emotion terrified him. Tiptoeing, he reached up and grabbed the white bottle from the shelf and held it tightly in his palm. He leaned back against a wall and stared at his closed hand. The hum of the pharmacy sign rang in his ears as he slowly opened his palm and read the label on the bottle. 

'Carnales Calor Surpressant - 50 mg 14 tablets: to be ingested orally twice a day for 7 days preceeding an Omega's heat. Please read instructions carefully.' 

Stiles collapsed in a heap on the ground and laughed joyfully as tears fell from his eyes. He ran a hand through his short hair and stared at the bottle of pills with trembling lips.  
Wiping the tears from his eyes, he jumped up and grabbed as many bottles of the surpressant as he could before running back to the tent and placing the bottles of medication in his black box. He hugged the box to his chest and curled into a foetal position. He'd found them...just over a week until his heat hit and he'd found them!

Relief spread through him and his eyes finally closed in exhaustion. Wrapped in a thick blanket (thank you camping department), in a warm, quiet space with his suppressants clutched close to his chest, Stiles felt something he hadn't felt in a long, long time. Safe.

Later he told himself that he really should have known better. 

**********************

Chase Matheson hitched up his pants and adjusted his security belt before removing his gun. His stomach rumbled and once again, he reminded himself to pistol whip the asshole who had interrupted his 3am snack break by tripping the store alarm. He pushed open the door and cautiously inched forward into the dimly lit store. His hands tightened around his gun as he swept the store aisle by aisle. 

His annoyance rose as each aisle came up empty and by the time he reached the garden furniture at the far end of the store, he was royally pissed off. Chase holstered his gun and wiped the sweat from his brow as he once again hitched up his pants. Damn things were always slipping off the roundness of his belly...god, he was way too old for this shit. Chase looked around one last time before calling the local police department. 

The store owner had implemented a policy last year whereby all alarms were routed through to the police station as well as the guards station. If no contact was made within 20 minutes of the alarm being tripped, then the entire fucking national guard would turn up. Chase rolled his eyes as an officer finally answered the call and he gave his name and location. As he was about to give the all clear, he heard a whimper behind him and froze. He turned slowly and sighed in relief when he saw nothing but frowned when he heard a coughing coming from beyond the garden furniture. 

Chase unholstered his gun and kept the phone by his side. He could hear the officer asking if everything was ok but he ignored her as he finally located the source of the whimpering and coughing. The flap of the camping tent lay open to reveal a slim, curled figure sleeping inside. Chase stepped forward but stopped abruptly as he smelled the fucking delicious smell of an omega in heat. The gun and phone fell from his hands as he licked his lips and felt his dick spring to life. 

"Excuse me? Sir? Is everything all right? Sir? Can you hear me?" The shrill voice of the officer on the phone grated on his nerves and he kicked the phone away before turning back to the prize in the tent. Chase breathed in deeply and groaned as the Omega's scent surrounded him. It had been so long since he'd last touched one....god, the smell! He unzipped to relieve the pressure and wiped the sweat that poured from his flush face. 

Chase unbuttoned the top button of his stiff grey shirt and fully opened the flap of the camping tent. One taste...the poor omega was probably dying to be filled...mmm...just one taste...

***********************

William Hale slowly opened his eyes as the phone rang loudly in the dark room. Palming his face, he heaved his tired body off the bed and reached for his glasses before switching on the beside lamp and answering the phone. 

"Hello?" 

"Mr. Hale, I apologise for disturbing you so late at night sir, but there's an issue up at the Pemberton store." William sighed and checked the clock as he walked to the wardrobe and removed a warm sweater and slacks.  
"What exactly is the issue officer?" Receiving a call at 3:30 in the morning was never a good sign but he preferred to have all the facts before he travelled up there. The officer paused a moment before informing him that an alarm at the Pemberton store had been tripped at 2:50 am. 

"Sir, this alarm was responded to by a member of your security staff; a man by the name of Chase Matheson, at approximately 03:00 hours. Mr. Matheson called these offices at approximately 03:11 hours and provided us with his name and location before abruptly terminating the call." William frowned and asked if the guard had given the all clear before terminating the call. 

"No sir, that's why I'm calling. You asked us to notify you if officers were ever despatched to your premises in these circumstances. Officers are on their way to the store as we speak." William thanked the officer and told him that he'd arrive in Pemberton in 40 minutes. 

"Of course sir, officers will be at the scene awaiting your arrival." The officer terminated the call and William sent a message to his driver to be ready in 5 minutes. Exactly 5 minutes later, William Hale exited his home and instructed the driver to take him to Pemberton. 

************************

Stiles' head felt heavy as he slowly opened his eyes in the dark interior of the tent. He felt a big hand circle his bicep and pull as he winced at the painful grip. What was happening? God...his head felt so heavy....

He startled as the hand moved from his bicep to his face and he felt a thick thumb rub harshly against his lips. Suddenly coming back to himself, he scrambled back across the grass and looked up to see a stocky, sandy haired guy in his forties staring at him lecherously. 

"Where you going honey? Don't worry...I'm here, I'll take care of you." Stiles saw the man lick his lips before smiling at him and proffering his hand. What. The. Fuck? Who the hell was this dude and why was he sayi- 

Stiles paused as the scent hanging thickly in the air finally registered. His heat. The scent of his heat was everywhere....oh god. Stiles looked up at the man and his eyes widened in horror as he smelled the pungent scent of his arousal. He could tell the guy was only a beta but shit! He was a big guy. He could feel his heat stirring within him but past experience told him that the full force of it wouldn't hit him for another 4-5 hours. Which meant that he had enough time to get away from the panting dick in front of him.  
Stiles focused and looked around for anything he could use as a weapon and paused as he saw a stack of flare guns hanging behind the tent. He returned his gaze to the flushed man in front of him and slowly shuffled back as he smiled at the guy and asked him his name. 

"It's Chase...come on now honey....come and sit by me" he said as he patted his knee. Stiles saw the angry red penis hanging out of the guy's fly and gritted his teeth. 

"Uh yeah, sure....oh shoot! Chase would you hang onto my scarf while I grab that pillow? It's my first time...I don't want to be uncomfortable...you don't want that right?" He smiled coyly at fucking asshole Chase, who grabbed the scarf and shook his head before burying his face in the scarf. 

Stiles continued to smile as he walked past the tent and reached for a flare gun. He ripped open the packaging but almost dropped the thing when he heard a loud groan from behind him. He could smell the bitter scent of the guys cum even before he turned to find him rubbing the scarf all over his crotch and panting. 

Stiles grimaced in disgust as he lifted the flare gun and aimed it at dipshit numbnut Chase's head. He reached into the tent for his bag and slowly backed away; the gun still trained on the beta, who was by now crawling towards him 

************************

Both omega and beta froze as the doors behind them were ripped open and the sounds of thundering foot steps surrounded them. 

"Put down your weapon right now! Pemberton Police Department - I'm ordering you to drop your weapon!" 

 

TBC..............


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William Hale is not impressed with what he finds at Pemberton....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, new day, new chapter. I have a feeling this fic may be a tad loooong but hey, that's not a bad thing. ..right? 
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter and once again, thank you for the kudos and comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

William Hale checked his watch and saw that it was 04:30 am. He sighed as Marcus; his driver, pulled up alongside a police car with flashing lights and glanced back at him through the rear view mirror. 

"Would you like me to accompany you Mr. Hale?" William peered through the tinted windows of the Bentley and shook his head. 

"No, I'll speak to local law enforcement and be back shortly. You can take a break and wait in the car." Marcus nodded and exited the car before pulling open the rear passenger door for him. 

"I'll wait for your call Mr. Hale." William nodded in agreement and walked over to the police cruiser by the store entrance. A short, squat man in a navy police uniform turned around as he approached and watched him cautiously. William Hale cut an imposing figure as he walked across the parking lot in the pale grey light of the early morning; at 6 ft 4 with a broad, beefy frame and piercing blue eyes, the man practically screamed Alpha. And even at 64, the Hale patriarch was not a man to be trifled with. The uniformed officer plastered on a smile and extended his hand in greeting. 

"Mr. Hale, I'm Officer Friar, the lead officer tonight." William shook the beta's hand absently before brushing past him and walking into his store. He looked around and was pleasantly surprised to see no damage. Beckoning the officer over, he asked Friar to tell him what had caused the alarm to trip. Officer Friar cleared his throat and explained that a youth had broken into the store to steal some medication. William walked over to the pharmacy at the back of the store and saw an officer photographing an open medicine cabinet. 

"What did he take?" he asked, genuinely curious, given that, from where he stood, all the pharmacy cabinets looked fully stocked. The officer glanced at his notebook before answering. 

"He was found in possession of 10 bottles of Carnales Calor sir. We have of course, confiscated those items." William frowned. Surpressants? The pills weren't exactly cheap but given the value of the other stock in the pharmacy, why would anyone steal a few bottles of surpressants? He turned back to the officer to ask that very question but paused as he saw a sandy haired man in a 'Hale Security' uniform over Friar's shoulder. Friar followed his gaze to where the sandy haired beta was giving a statement to a police officer. 

"That's the guard that responded to the alarm sir; Chase Matheson." William narrowed his gaze as he caught a familiar scent on the air. Well, at least that explained the choice of drug the thief chose to steal.

"What is he saying happened here?" he asked Friar. Friar flipped through his little notebook and quickly reviewed the information. 

"Mr. Matheson is giving his official statement right now but briefly...uh, let me see...yes, Mr. Matheson stated that he discovered a young man raiding the pharmacy and attempted to stop him. The young man then attempted to sexually assault Mr. Matheson before turning a gun on him in an attempt to escape. Sorry, that's a flare gun sir." Friar pocketed his notebook before triumphantly informing him that they had apprehended the thief and that he was currently being questioned by another officer. 

The subtle fragrance of an omega's heat...a very young, innocent omega at that, still perfumed the air and his frown deepened as he mentally reviewed the layout of the store. The ridiculous fallacy of omegas who raped innocent, helpless betas and alphas notwithstanding, the guard's version of events didn't quite ring true. 

"Where did he get the flare gun?" Friar looked puzzled at the question but dutifully pulled out his notebook and checked. 

"Erm, Mr. Matheson stated that the young man grabbed the flare gun from a display when he spotted him." William clenched his jaw in anger as things became clearer. 

"You mentioned a sexual assault; what is the guard claiming happened?" Friar looked at him blankly before glancing at the dishevelled guard, who stood by the entrance laughing with a police officer. 

"Uh...just a moment sir...uh...ok, erm, Mr. Matheson stated that once the young man realised he couldn't get past him, he began to purposefully...excrete...uh...heat pheromones and demanded that he...uh...masturbate." 

William felt anger radiate through him at the sheer stupidity of the people he was surrounded by. He clenched his fists and tried to reign in his anger. As he felt the tension across his chest abate, he turned back to Friar to ask him about the omega but was interrupted by shouting. 

"Get your fucking hands off me, before I fucking rip them off pig!" The enraged voice echoed through the store, and William turned to see a young boy being led away in handcuffs. The boy could not have been more than 15 years old and was so slender, that even from where he stood, William could see the sharp angles of his gaunt face. He wore a pale blue puffy jacket and dark jeans with old, scuffed sneakers, and William furrowed his brow in shock and disbelief. This was the thief? The boy struggled against the hold of the two police officers standing either side of him as his face reddened in exertion and sweat poured from his body. 

The trio finally reached the store entrance, and William watched as the guard stepped back as though to clear a path for the officers, before stepping up behind the boy and fondling his back side discreetly. A rage unlike anything he'd felt since his youth shot through him, as he saw a terrified expression cross the boy's face. The protective instincts of an Alpha reared within him as his powerful 6 ft 4 frame strode toward the guard aggressively. He grabbed the man's collar and threw him to the ground before he placed his body between the boy and the wide eyed guard.

The silence was thick with tension as the police officers stared at him in shock. William struggled to maintain a calm facade as he turned to the idiotic 'lead officer' and instructed him to handcuff the guard. 

"B-but sir, Mr. Matheson was the vic-" he raised a hand to silence the man before fixing piercing blue eyes on his flushed face. 

"I just witnessed this...beta" he practically spat the word as though it were an expletive "...fondling and assaulting this child, so. Handcuff him. Now." Friar reached for his handcuffs as he averted his eyes from the Alpha's angry gaze, then hesitated and shook his head. 

"I'm afraid I cannot do that Mr. Hale. Mr. Matheson was sexually assaulted by this omega, and even if you choose not to proceed with charges of theft, this matter will still need to be investigated." William stiffened at the beta's tone and slowly stepped forward until he stood a foot away from him. 

"This omega, is a child in the primary stages of heat, beta. How exactly did a 15 year old omega who reeks of fear and looks as though he weighs about as much as one of Mr. Matheson's arms, force him to masturbate? Beta's and Alpha's are merely attracted by the scent of an omega in heat, they are not controlled by it. Did they teach you nothing in school, you idiot? An omega's heat is NOT tacit permission for rape." Friar trembled as the Alpha snarled at him and grabbed his jaw. 

"Now beta. Handcuff that guard before I lose my patience." William released Friar's jaw and wiped his hands in distaste before turning back to the guard on the floor. Putting as much authority in his voice as he could, he towered over the portly man and asked "What. Happened?" 

The guard paled and stuttered as he spoke. "I'm so sorry Mr. Hale.....I f-found him a-asleep in the tent...I c-couldn't help myself....he smelled so good....I'm so sorry....p-please..." 

William grimaced in disgust and barked at Friar to 'get him out of my sight'. As the terrified officers led a blubbering Matheson away in handcuffs, he turned back to see the boy watching him suspiciously. 

"What do you want old man? I didn't bend over for that fat fuck and I sure as fuck ain't gonna do it for you." The boy's voice was surprisingly deep and he scrutinised the gaunt face before reconsidering his assessment of the boys age. 

"How old are you?" 

"How old do you want me to be old man" the boy spat back at him as he sneered. William noted the threadbare clothing and twig like limbs before looking at the boy curiously. 

"Where are your parents?" The boy curled his lip as the air flooded with the coppery scent of his fury. His amber eyes darkened and he assumed an air of faux nonchalance. 

"Dead. Why? You wanna be my daddy?" William stared at the boy as the scents of rage and fear overpowered the fragrant scent of his heat. The flippancy of the answer annoyed him and he shook his head at the thought of this child's parents allowing him to roam the streets alone. 

"Evidently omega, you're hard of hearing; I have no interest in raping a child. I simply wanted to know why an omega as young as you, was foolish enough to break in to my store when he's in the first throes of heat. Did your parents teach you nothing about the vulnerability of omegas during times of heat?" It was inconceivable to him that any parent would allow a young omega to wander the streets unaccompanied while in heat, especially given the lax nature of the laws pertaining to 'sexual interaction' during an omega's heat. 

The boy stepped up to him and tilted his head back to look him directly in the eye. William stared down at the frail boy and marvelled at the kids cajones. He was an Alpha, but the omega didn't flinch once as he glared up at him....impressive, he mused to himself. 

"Perhaps you're hard of hearing old man...I said my parents are dead. So, no, they weren't around to teach me to be wary of sick....rapey....pedophilic betas and alphas just waiting for a chance to stuff me like a turkey. Now, if you don't mind, I need to go looking for somewhere to sleep tonight, given that your employee nearly raped me in that cosy tent." 

The boy stepped back and walked past him to the far end of the store. William watched the boy lean into the tent and grab a plastic bag before straightening and zipping up his jacket. The boy walked toward him with tired eyes fixed on the entrance. 

William noted the boy's rigid back and resolute face; the passion, the fire, the fierce beauty, the courage, the strength...they all reminded him so much of Elizabeth. William could almost feel the soft caress of her hand on his cheek as he watched the boy clutch the plastic bag tightly to his chest and stare up at the violet sky. He felt a warmth spread through him as he remembered her beautiful face and smiled. 

"Wait Omega. I can help you." 

***********************

Stiles froze as the Alpha behind him spoke. Help? What 'help' could this Alpha possibly provide? 

 

TBC.......


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles accepts the Alpha's help, but was that the right decision?....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, another chapter for your consideration - I hope you enjoy my fic and like the little world I'm creating :-) 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Thick grey clouds blanketed the sky as the Bentley turned a corner and stopped in front of a tall, black gate. Stiles sat silently against the plush leather seats and picked at his nails. He glanced nervously at the Alpha sat beside him before turning back to look out of the car's tinted windows and kicking himself. 

What had he been thinking getting into the car with the Alpha? He felt a stirring heat low in his belly and grimaced. Right, that's what he was doing here; a little over a week until his heat hit and he had no suppressants and nowhere to go. If the idea of suffering through his heat at the shelter had been bad, then the idea of going through his heat while roughing it on the streets was horrific. Stiles looked at the verdant landscaping and high walls of the houses beyond the window and snorted. The rich really did waste money on useless shit, he thought, as he watched a tall, blonde Alpha with big bouncing breasts and even bigger diamonds, slide into a cherry red Porsche across the street. 

The Bentley started moving again and his attention snapped to the winding driveway in front of him. As the car drove down the tree lined drive, his felt his eyes get wider and wider until they almost popped out of their sockets when the car came to a stop in front of the house. The driver winked at him as he stepped out of the car and gaped at the sprawling mansion in front of him. 

Nine months ago, Stiles had found a gold tennis bracelet by the side of the road and sold it to a pawn shop for $170. He remembered holding the wad of dirty bills and feeling a sense of relief knowing that he'd be able to eat something other than dollar store tinned crap. He'd taken a bus to the nearest diner and had gorged on a burger, curly fries, onion rings, a huge slab of chocolate cake and a shake. He'd felt like a king as he wiped his mouth on a napkin and paid the $20 bill before leaving the kind waitress a $10 tip. It had been extravagant and wasteful, and he'd savoured every minute of it. The wealth laid out in front of him was therefore as incomprehensible to him as it was absurd. He jumped when a hand gently touched his shoulder. 

"Everything ok?" asked the Alpha as he withdrew his hand and looked at him in concern. 

"Who the hell are you?" he asked in a shocked whisper as he returned his gaze to the beautiful double story mansion surrounded by manicured lawns. 

"I'm William Hale omega; and now you know my name, I believe it would only be fair if you told me yours."

Hale? Hale! As in multinational retailers, Hale? As in owners of the largest chain of discount stores and warehouses in the USA, Hale? Stiles stumbled back in panic. This wasn't good...why would a billionaire want to help him? News stories about kidnapped omega's that were kept as sex slaves or sold into prostitution flashed before his eyes. No, no, no...what had he done? He had to get out of here. Fear seized him as the powerful Alpha stepped toward him and extended a large, paw like hand. 

"Stay the fuck away from me!" he spat venomously as he tried to calm his racing heart and mask his fear infused scent. The Alpha frowned and opened his mouth to speak. Stiles didn't give him a chance to spew anymore bullshit as he turned tail and ran. His feet slipped on the pebbled drive as he ran but he refused to slow down, even as he heard the pounding of foot steps behind him. Sweat poured down his back as he ran, almost suffocating in the heat of Amanda's puffy jacket. Stiles could see his breath form plumes of smoke as he exhaled sharply in the cold air, could hear the wheezing in his lungs as he pushed his sleep deprived body faster down the drive, but he refused to stop. His glanced back and cried out as the momentary lack of focus caused him to fall to the ground. A sharp heat tore through him and his vision swam as he clawed at the stones on the drive. The last thing he saw as he closed his eyes against the searing heat were two piercing blue eyes. 

***********************

William sighed as he sat down on the chair beside the large, canopied bed, and stared at the unconscious omega. The omega who currently lay curled in the cream silk sheets, pale and sweating, as the scent of his heat got stronger and more fragrant. He rubbed his tired eyes as he recalled the omega's terrified expression when they'd pulled up outside the house. He had no idea what had caused the young man such terror, nor did he understand why the boy had run from him. It was at times like this that he ached for his wife. 

"Grandpa?" William startled and turned at the sound of the soft voice. A handsome young boy with dark, curled hair and blue eyes stood by the bedroom door in dirty jeans and navy sweatshirt. 

"Cameron? When did you get here?" His grandson ignored his question as he stepped into the room and walked up to the bed. 

"He smells sweet Grandpa. Is he ok?" At only 11 years of age, Cameron didn't know much about heats and was most likely confused by what he could scent. William smiled at the boy and smoothed his furrowed brow before pulling him to his side. 

"He's fine Cam, just tired...his heat is starting soon and you remember how tough I told you those could be, right?" Cam's eyes lit up as he pulled away from him and rushed back to the bedside. 

"He's an omega? That's so cool Grandpa! Finally, someone I can talk to about stuff!" William laughed as his grandson jumped around like a bunny.   
"Ok, ok, Cam, calm down. He's going to be in heat for the next week or so, so you can't talk to him until after. Got it?" Cameron pouted and whined but he shook his head and refused to give in. The omega was young, alone, and appeared to be under a great deal of stress; his heat would not be pleasant, and William did not want his grandson to forever link heat with pained desperation. Cam's blue eyes watered as he glanced at the omega.   
"But Grandpa...he's older than me and he's an omega....he can tell me everything about what it's like. Please Grandpa, you know I don't have anyone else to talk to..." 

William stood up and walked over to his grandson. He crouched down until he could look the boy in the eye and said "I know Cam and I promise son, you can talk to him after his heat. I promise." The boy nodded and coughed before discreetly wiping his eyes. 

"So, are you planning on staying here tonight?" he asked and laughed as the boy nodded and said 'duh, Grandpa'. William patted the boy on the shoulder and told him to ask Ada; the housekeeper, to get his things ready as he stood up. 

"What things?" asked Cam in confusion. 

"Well, I distinctly recall promising a certain omega a trip to his favourite place in the world during his next visit. Hmmm, now who am I thinking of?..." he tapped a finger to his chin in mock confusion. 

"Oh my god! The science museum Grandpa? YES! You're the best - ok I'll get changed - thank you, thank you, thank you!" William smiled and shook his head fondly as the boy bounced out of the room screaming Ada's name. 

Cameron was not his only grandchild, but he was by far his favourite. He knew it wasn't the PC thing to say and he could almost hear Elizabeth's husky voice chiding him, but the boy embodied so much of Elizabeth that it was difficult not to play favourites with him. William still remembered receiving the call on a balmy summer's night as Elizabeth slept beside him. 

 

11 Years Ago:

Ring. Ring. Ring. 

"William, for goodness sake! Answer the damn phone!" William squinted and yawned as his beloved wife smacked him on the shoulder and told him to 'hurry up'. 

He picked up the phone and practically barked into it. "This had better be good! Do you have any idea what the time is?" 

"Uh, William? It's David." Elizabeth sat up as she heard their son in law's voice through the phone, and switched on the bedside lamp. William quickly apologised and asked if everything was alright. 

"Yes, it's all fine, but I wanted to tell you myself...it's a boy!" His wife shrieked beside him and ripped the phone from his hand. 

"Oh my god David, is he ok? Is Talia ok? When did she go into labour? I mean, really, David you should have called us sooner! I know it's not the fir-" William grabbed the phone back and held his wife at bay with an arm as he quickly told David they'd see him soon and terminated the call. 

His wife glared at him from across the bed but he kissed her cheek gently and said "come on Grandma, time to welcome Hale number four." His wife cupped his cheek and smiled tearfully as she dressed. 

As Marcus drove out of the gate, Elizabeth clasped his hand and squeezed tightly. "Baby number four, can you believe it William?" William raised her hand to his lips and pressed his lips to her knuckles gently. 

When they finally reached the hospital, they found a serene looking Talia cradling a tiny bundle as her husband smiled down at her proudly. 

Four years later, those smiles had dimmed a little when the results of the ROS (rapid orientation screening) had shown that Cameron was an omega. His daughter had looked at the giggling four year old in confusion before glancing at her three other children. 

"I don't understand...Laura, Derek, and Cora are all Alpha's...I guess I simply assumed...". It was the first time he had been disappointed in his daughter. Elisabeth had shushed him with gentle hands as she held a sleeping Cameron on her hip.

"She'll come round William, I'm sure it's only the shock. Don't worry so much, my love." His wife had brushed his thick hair away from his face and smiled at him. William remembered looking at the smiling face of his omega wife and the sleeping face of his omega grandson and nodding. 

He'd been sure she was right. His wife was always right. 

************************

Present time: 

Stiles awoke in a dark room buried under the softest sheets he'd ever felt. The boiling heat in his belly had gentled to a simmer and he thanked god for small mercies. His head felt heavy and his mouth was parched. 

Where the hell was he? He pulled the sheets from atop his head and swept his gaze across the large room. The room was bathed in the pale light of the moon that filtered through the windows and even in the dimness, he could see the sumptuousness of the furnishings. Hardwood floors, ornate hand crafted wooden chairs with thick silk cushioning, framed oil paintings, and a large crystal chandelier hanging from the ceiling. 

Stiles felt panic rise within him and he scrambled off the ridiculously comfortable bed. He dropped to the floor but was unable to find his shoes anywhere near or under the bed. Fuck it, he thought and rushed to the door while praying for it to be unlocked. He almost whooped in victory as the door opened to a deserted hall way. Casting furtive glances around the dark hallway, he closed the door to the bedroom behind him and tiptoed to the top of the staircase 

He could feel the simmering heat in his belly return to a boil as his skin flushed and his breathing deepened. Trying to control his rebellious body long enough to escape the gilded cage, he clutched the cool, smooth wood of the banister and heaved his trembling body down the first few steps. Stiles felt his slick leak down the backs of his thighs as he clawed at the wall and moaned in need. 

"Where are you going?" Stiles froze as a kid appeared at the bottom of the stairs, holding a glass of milk in one hand and a candy bar in the other. 

"That's what I'd like to know" came the deep voice of the Alpha behind him. Shit!

 

TBC.......


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles considers an offer from Alpha Hale....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I present chapter 6 - I hope you enjoy. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

A tall glass was placed on the counter top in front of him, filled to the brim with ice chips and water. Stiles swallowed and ran his sand like tongue along his cracked lips but pushed the glass away and stared petulantly at Alpha Hale. The Alpha narrowed his gaze and crossed his arms as they stared at one another in a silent stand off, or stare off... whatever. 

Stiles gritted his teeth and leaned back in his chair, eyes fixed on the Alpha in front of him. The friction of his ass against the cushioned seat as he scooted back made him bite his lip and heat pulsed in his belly. He heard a choked squeak from his left and turned to see the dark haired kid from earlier blush bright red. Oh just fucking great...the kid could probably smell him. Stiles snapped his attention back to the Alpha and felt himself flush in embarrassment. 

"Where's my stuff?" he spat, letting his anger pummel his embarrassment into submission; he refused to allow these rich assholes to make him feel inferior for something that was out of his control. The Alpha arched a greying brow and pushed the glass of water back across the counter. 

"Drink it." Stiles felt his pitiful omega body tremble at the authority in the Alpha's command and dug his nails into the meat of his thighs. The stinging pain focused his mind and momentarily cooled the blistering heat inside him. 

"Fuck. You." It took everything in him to be able to choke out the curse but it was worth it when he saw a flash of annoyance cross the Alpha's face. He heard the kid gasp across the kitchen and almost laughed. What the fuck was his life, seriously? How did he always find himself in these ridiculous situations? Stiles rolled his eyes and delicately lifted his trembling body off the chair, before placing his hands on the counter top and leaning forward. 

"Where. The. Fuck. Is. My. Stuff?" The Alpha remained silent but pushed the glass of water forward until it sat between his hands on the counter top. Stiles looked down at the cool glass of water and clenched his jaw before swiping his arm across the counter, causing the glass to fall and shatter on the marble floor. He opened his mouth to demand the return of his belongings but instead found himself groaning loudly and falling to the floor. He pressed his sweaty forehead to the cool marble of the floor as a scorching heat flooded his body and slick dampened the backs of his thighs. 

Oh god...so hot...so empty. Stiles pressed himself against the floor and ground his hips in a circular motion as his body burned with need and his mind chanted a chorus of 'empty, empty, empty'. He whined as he struggled to achieve enough friction to achieve orgasm and desperately rolled to his back before shoving his hand down the front of his jeans. Oh god...so fucking....uuh..hot. Heat seared through him and everything inside him pulsed with need as he stroked himself with a sweat slicked palm. 

The sudden cool touch of a small hand to his cheek calmed him long enough for him to open his eyes and still his hand. The dark haired boy was kneeling beside him, staring at him with wide, but sympathetic eyes as he cupped his cheek. 

"It's ok, you're ok...just breathe, ok?" The boy smiled uncertainly as he delivered the instructions but, with steady hands, wiped the sweat from Stiles' brow with a towel. The fog clouding his mind receded a little and the desperate need inside him calmed as the boy helped him to sit up and lean against a cabinet door. Stiles stared at the blue eyed boy in wonder and shock. 

"H-how did you d-do that?" The boy smiled and sat cross legged in front of him. 

"I'm an omega too. Grandpa told me I could help you 'cuz...you know...us guys can calm each other. Right Grandpa?" The boy asked over his shoulder. Stiles had forgotten about Alpha Hale but quickly looked over the boy's shoulder to see the Alpha smiling proudly at the boy. 

"Right Cam, you did great kid. Now, you want to help me get this young man to his room?" The boy nodded and moved toward Stiles to help him up. The kid's head only reached his shoulder, but Stiles was thankful for the skinny arm around his waist as they walked up the stairs to the bedroom. Once he was back in the big...oh for fuck sake, canopied?!?!...bed and the kid had been sent to bed with a warm embrace from the Alpha, Alpha Hale sat on a chair beside the bed and watched him intently. When he finally spoke, his deep voice almost echoed in the large room. 

"Omega, I will not force you to do anything you do not want to do. If you want to leave, then I will prepare your things and instruct my driver to drop you off wherever you wish. I will even provide you with the surpressants you so desperately want, but....I would ask that you stay, if only for your heat. It is not safe for an omega of your age to be roaming the streets during a heat." The Alpha sighed and walked over to the large windows. 

"My grandson; Cameron..." Stiles saw the Alpha smile warmly before continuing "...he's an omega. My wife was also an omega...and I love them both with all my heart...so believe me when I tell you that I mean you no harm. You're young and alone in the world, I only wish to help you...I neither want nor expect anything in return omega." The Alpha turned back to him and smiled. 

"It is your decision young man, but I urge you to consider my offer. We'll talk further in the morning. Sleep well omega." The Alpha nodded at him and walked toward the bedroom door. Stiles' mind whirled as he tried understand what was happening. How could this Alpha open his home to him and expect nothing from him? That wasn't how the world worked dammit! But what were his options? He had no money and nowhere to go, and it was too late to take the surpressants the Alpha offered in any case. Fuck! Stiles clenched his fists to stop the trembling of his hands as he considered the Alpha's offer. It had been 8 years since his trust had been shattered...could he really afford to place even a modicum of trust in this Alpha, even if he did save him from being arrested and then groped by that fat fuck of a guard. 

As the Alpha's hand turned the door knob and pulled open the heavy wooden door, his desperate mind finally came to a decision. Stiles cleared his throat and pushed off the bed. 

"Stiles." The Alpha turned back to him in confusion. 

"Excuse me?" Stiles took a deep breath and stepped forward. 

"My name; it's Stiles." The Alpha smiled softly and extended his hand. 

"It's nice to meet you Stiles." He looked down at the big hand and tentatively shook it. As he looked between the Alpha's smiling face and their clasped hands, he prayed that he'd made the right decision. 

**********************

The next 5 days passed in the blur of heat. Alpha Hale kept his word and did nothing but ensure that he had everything he needed to be comfortable. By day 5, he was tired and sore and filthy; his body drenched in a mixture of sweat and cum and saliva, but he was safe and that was...unbelievable. Three weeks ago, he'd almost been raped trying to earn money to buy surpressants and now? Now his heat had passed, and he was safe and sound in the home of an Alpha who had nothing but help him ever since their first meeting. Stiles had trouble believing that this was his life; that for once, something had worked out for him.

When Alpha Hale offered him a job as they sat down to breakfast the day after his heat had finished, Stiles panicked and dropped the glass of OJ he had been holding. 

"W-what?"

"It's not much Stiles, just general housekeeping really. Ada's been with me a long time but she's at the age where she needs help from time to time. You'll receive a salary each month of course, and you can stay in the little cottage by the stables; it will be completely private and no one will bother you. What do you think?" 

The Alpha smiled at him expectantly over his paper as Stiles stared at him in disbelief. 

"Why are you doing this for me? You don't even know me..." he whispered. Alpha Hale's eyes softened and he folded his morning paper. 

"Because I can. I want to help Stiles and it would be good for Cameron to have another omega around; he took quite a shine to you." Stiles breathed a sigh of relief. Ok, this he understood; fuck philanthropy, Alpha Hale simply wanted an omega around to keep his grandson entertained. It was just business and he could totally do that. Stiles nodded his acceptance and the Alpha clapped him on the back before telling him he'd make all the necessary arrangements. 

It took the Alpha less than a day to arrange everything, and two days after his heat ended, Stiles stood in the middle of a furnished little cottage staring at the keys clutched in his palm. Cameron bounced around behind him, setting up and connecting various games consoles to the small tv, while munching on a big bar of Toblerone. What the fuck had he gotten himself into? 

*************************

"You could have atleast informed me Dad." William frowned at the tone of his daughters voice and closed the book he had been reading. The library was warm and bright as the afternoon sun shone through the large bay windows, and he'd been perfectly content until his daughter had barged in. He watched Talia fiddle with her pearls as she stood staring at the two boys running around outside. 

"Since when am I required to inform you of anything pertaining to the running of my household?" he asked, his tone harsher than he'd intended it to be. Talia turned to him in surprise and arched a thick dark brow. She looked so much like her mother, that it sometimes pained him to look at her. Tall and slender with thick, sable coloured hair, a sharp straight nose, full lips and high cheekbones; his daughter knew she was beautiful and had always carried herself with a confidence he found admirable. When she'd been born, he remembered smiling at his exhausted wife and declaring then and there that she was an Alpha. He hadn't been wrong. 

"That's not what I meant Dad. I'm simply saying that, given the amount of time Cameron spends here, I would have appreciated it if you'd told me that you'd hired a 16 year old omega." She frowned as a loud whooping could be heard through the open window. "I'm not sure I'm comfortable with Cameron being around a kid you picked up off the street. An omega no less...honestly Dad, what were you thinking?" Talia's frown deepened as Cameron's screams of laughter rang through the library. 

William closed his eyes and touched his fingers to the silver wedding band on his finger. Both he and Talia were Alpha's, and clashes were inevitable when you had two such dominant, opinionated personalities, but his daughter was becoming more and more insufferable as the years passed. He remembered chasing a screaming 6 year old Talia around the tight space of their first home and wondered when his daughter had changed so much. Exhaling deeply, he opened his eyes and heaved his ageing body from the leather armchair. 

"Talia, I do not answer to you. I love Cameron, and I assure you he is safe in this house. That boy poses no danger to him. Do not concern yourself with matters that have nothing to do with you." He brushed past his daughter and walked to the library doors. 

"Oh and one more thing -" William turned at the doors and fixed on his prim and proper daughter " - if I ever hear you speak of omega's in that manner again, I will cut you out of the business. Do you understand?" Talia paled but nodded and lowered her gaze. 

************************

"Hey Mom, I wanted to let you know that me and Kate are flying in on the red eye, our plane lands at....uh...hang on a sec...at eleven. Victoria said she'd send a car so I'm gonna crash at Kate's for the night but I'll come home tomorrow. Ok, I gotta go, love you Mom." 

Derek Hale grabbed his duffel bag and ran to the gate, where Kate stood waving at him. As they settled in the plane 10 minutes later, Kate kissed him before settling her head on his shoulder and Derek closed his eyes and leaned his cheek against the top of her head. Four hours and they'd be back in Beacon Hills. 

 

TBC...........


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek's back and the family decide to have dinner to welcome him back....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoy this chapter. Just to clarify the family trees:
> 
> William and Elizabeth Hale → Talia and Peter Hale
> 
> Talia and David Hale → Laura, Cora, Derek, and Cameron Hale
> 
> Victoria and Chris Argent → Kate Argent
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"Derek....get up baby....come on..." Derek groaned and pulled the pillow over his head as she laughed behind him. He felt teasing fingers trail down his chest to the waist band of his briefs as a heated mouth kissed his neck. Derek moaned and arched into the hand now massaging him over the black fabric of his underwear, as he yanked the pillow off his head. Kate laughed and slithered up his body until her hair hung like waterfalls over his face. 

"Thought that might...wake you up" she said smirking, before leaning down and kissing him fervently. The shrill ringing of his phone startled them both, and for a moment, he and Kate stared at the phone on the bedside table in confusion. The phone continued to ring as Derek shook his head, adjusted himself and gently pushed a pouting Kate off his body. He reached for the phone and muttered an expletive under his breath as he saw his mother's number flash across the screen. Great! Who doesn't want to talk to their mother with a raging hard on? Derek tried to think disgusting, unsexy thoughts as he placed a pillow over his lap and swiped to answer the call. 

"Hey mom." Kate moved off the bed behind him and walked around the room, gathering her clothes, before padding into the bathroom. 

"Finally up, I see." Derek winced and pulled the phone from his ear to check the time. It had just gone midday according to his phone and he rubbed his temples, head already throbbing at the thought of the inevitable lecture. 

"Sorry mom, it's been a crazy two months...I guess I was more tired than I thought." Boner well and truly dead, he pulled the pillow from his lap and reached for his jeans. 

"Hmmm, well I hope you've recovered because I was calling to remind you about dinner tonight." Derek frowned in confusion as he pulled on his jeans.  
"Dinner?" His mother huffed in annoyance and reminded him that the family had planned to have dinner at his grandfather's tonight. Derek nodded as she spoke, finally recalling the 'dinner date' his mother had arranged last time they spoke. Frankly, he was surprised his grandfather had agreed to it; ever since his grandmother's passing 6 years ago, the man had become reclusive and avoided family get togethers like the plague. 

"Right, right, of course. What time do you want me there?" he asked as he rummaged around in his suitcase for a shirt. 

"I'd like the both of you to arrive promptly at 7 pm. Promptly Derek, understood?" He triumphantly grabbed an old henley before pausing as he finally registered his mother's words. 

"Both?" His mother laughed as an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. Please don't mean what I think you mean, he thought as Kate exited the bathroom wrapped in the tiniest towel he'd ever seen. 

"Yes Derek, both of you. I want you to bring Kate, I mean the two of you have been seeing each other for a few months now and I think it's time she was properly introduced to the family." Derek ran a hand through his hair and sighed. He knew it. He fucking knew it. 

"Mother, the family already knows her. She's your best friend's daughter, remember? Everyone's already been 'introduced'." He saw Kate watching him in the mirror and pasted on a awkward looking smile before stepping out onto the balcony. 

"Mom, you know how every-"

"Oh Derek, honestly! You haven't introduced her as your girlfriend yet! And tonight's the perfect opportunity; the whole family will be there." Derek winced as he imagined the look on his sister's face when he introduced Kate Argent as his girlfriend. Laura would probably spend the whole night sniping at Kate while giving him dirty looks as Cora looked on in amusement. Great! Just how he wanted to spend his evening. He couldn't imagine his grandfather's reaction being much better. 

"Mom...I don't think tonight -" 

"Nonsense Derek, I expect to see you both at 7, and please dress in something other than jeans and a henley. See you then honey." Derek sighed as his mother ended the call. He stepped back into the bedroom to see an almost naked Kate holding her phone and smiling. 

"Aww Der, your mother's just invited me to dinner tonight. Isn't that great?" He nodded and smiled. 

"Yeah...that's awesome." 

**********************

Stiles finished chopping the vegetables and turned to see Cam unwrapping another snickers bar. 

"Cam! What did I say dude? No more candy! That's like your fourth bar today." Cam shrugged his skinny shoulders and bit down on the chocolate bar before smirking and saying 'yum, yum'. Stiles narrowed his eyes dangerously and made the one threat that always made Cam cave. 

"Ok fine, I hope you enjoy missing the collider exhibit tomorrow." Cam's eyes widened and he quickly spat the nougety chocolate goodness from his mouth. Stiles arched a brow and smiled devilishly as the boy glared at him and binned the rest of the candy bar. 

"I'll get you for this Stilinski" Cam threatened as he walked out the kitchen. 

"Oohh, I'm so scared" he shouted at the boy's retreating figure. Across the kitchen Ada shook her grey curls and chuckled as he smiled and shrugged. He'd only been working for Alpha Hale for a month, but he already felt at home here; with Ada and Cam, and he was...happy. He was still scared to even think that word; terrified that everything would be ripped away just as he let his guard down. Every night a day passed peacefully, he thanked whatever entity had directed him to Alpha Hale's store that night. 

"Stiles?" He looked up to see Ada watching him in concern. The beta had taken to him as soon as they'd met and constantly mothered him, which was both sweet and confusing, given that he didn't really know how to respond to maternal affection. 

"Sorry Ada, what did you say?" The beta stared at him for a second before nodding and asking him to lay the table for tonight. Stiles grabbed the silverware and napkins and carried them to the dining room, where he found Cam playing on his phone. 

"A little help Sweets?" Cam sighed and rolled his eyes but put down the phone and helped him with the silverware. Cam could pretend all he wanted, but he was a good kid and the nickname Stiles had bestowed on him was perfect for him; a sweet kid with a sweet tooth. As they laid the table, he asked Cam who would be coming to dinner tonight. 

"Oh everyone; Mom, Dad, Uncle Peter, Laura, Cora, and Derek. Derek's just come back from travelling so Mom wanted everyone to have dinner. It's gonna be so lame. Hey! Can I come hang with you instead?" Stiles shook his head; that's all he'd need, a family of Alpha's pissed at him because he let the young omega run amok...uh, yeah, no thanks. Cam frowned and turned his back, returning to the game on his phone. Ugh, he hated it when the kid gave him the silent treatment; he was so good at making him feel like crap without saying a thing. Ugh!  
"Aargh...fine! BUT only after dinner ok? And we have to ask Mr. Hale first." Cam jumped up and ran from the room screaming for his grandfather as Stiles thumped his head against the shiny mahogany table. Seriously, fuck his life. 

 

***********************

Derek parked the Camaro and nervously checked his reflection in the rear view mirror. 

"Der, relax! It's just dinner with your family, it'll be fine." He glanced at Kate and smiled. She was right, he just had to relax. He took a deep breath and quickly kissed her before they both exited the car. Kate clasped his hand as they walked up the front steps and knocked on the door. Ada answered the door and smiled when she saw Derek. 

"It's so good to see you Derek! How was your trip?" Kate frowned as Derek embraced his grandfather's housekeeper and told her about his travels. They were interrupted a few moments later by his mother, who waved the woman away and kissed him on the cheek warmly. 

"I missed you Derek, it's good to have you back. And Kate..." his mother turned to Kate and embraced her while beaming at Derek "...it's so good to see you, you look beautiful, as always." She was right, Kate was wearing a strapless black cocktail dress and looked truly stunning. 

"Talia please, stop it. You look wonderful. Thank you for inviting me." His mother waved away her thanks and asked after Victoria. 

"Mom's great; she and dad are up at the cabin this weekend but they should be back in town by Tuesday. You should give her a call, I know she's been dying to speak to you about her campaign." Derek grew bored as the women chatted and wondered into the lounge to find the rest of the family. 

His father and grandfather both sat sipping at glasses of liquor, discussing the projections for next quarter. His grandfather finally caught sight of him and smiled at him widely before waving him over. 

"Derek! Welcome back kid. Let me look at you" his grandfather said as he embraced him. His grandfather pulled back and looked at him head to toe before clapping him on the back. "God, you're the spitting image of me at your age. 19 going on 26." Derek laughed and nodded in agreement. He'd been told that he looked a lot older than his 19 years, and those who knew his grandfather had often commented on the uncanny likeness. 

His father joined in the laughter and embraced him tightly before welcoming him back home. Derek asked after his siblings and was told that Laura and Cora had yet to arrive, but that Cam could be found in the kitchen. With a promise to regale them with tales of his travels at dinner, he cut through the dining room and made his way to the room at the back of the house. 

As he neared the entrance to the kitchen he heard Cam scream and rushed forward, flinging open the doors with an angry scowl already in place. 

 

***********************

"Oh come on Stiles...please?" Stiles rolled his eyes as Cam elongated the 'e' in please for a full 5 seconds. 

"No Cam. You heard what Mr. Hale said; no 'hanging out' until you're done with the family dinner." Cam huffed and pulled himself up onto the counter top. Stiles ignored the boy's glaring looks as he finished polishing the wine glasses. After a few silent minutes watching him polish glassware, Cam jumped off the counter and rummaged around in the cabinet behind him. 

When he heard the crinkling of a plastic wrapper, he dropped the cloth he was using to polish the glasses and turned to see Cam biting into a huge slab of Herchey's chocolate. Jesus; the kid was going to slip into a sugar coma one of these days with the amount of candy he ate. 

"Drop it Cam" he said scowling at the boy. Cam stared at him before slowly lifting the candy bar to his mouth. 

"Don't do it" he warned. Cam smiled and took a huge bite out of the slab of chocolate. Stiles glared at the boy, who shrugged at him nonchalantly then ran as Stiles lunged towards him. Cam screamed in laughter as Stiles chased him around the kitchen, trying to wrench the candy bar from the boy's hands. He'd just caught the boy around the waist when they heard it. 

The loud banging of the kitchen door had made them both freeze. Stiles looked across the kitchen to see a 6ft tall, dark haired, very pissed off looking Alpha crowding the entrance to the kitchen. 

Seriously...fuck my life, he thought, as the Alpha rushed at him. 

TBC.......


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek is not happy with what he finds in the kitchen.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy Chapter 8. Thank you so much your kudos and kind comments, they really push me to keep writing, so...yeah, thanks :-) 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)
> 
> P.S the word TROU (french for hole) is used as a derogatory term for omega's in this fic by some characters.

Stiles dropped the arm around Cam's waist and pushed him out of the way of the approaching Alpha, before pivoting and ducking under the Alpha's outstretched arms. He hastily looked around for something to use as a weapon as the raven haired Alpha spun and charged towards him. Stiles knocked over a chair to slow the fucking psychopath down, before grabbing the heavy rolling pin on the counter top and dropping to his knees. He tightened his grip around the rolling pin and struck the Alpha on the knee, hard. The muscled Alpha screamed in pain before falling to his ass on the marble floor. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw Cam run from the kitchen and Stiles heaved a sigh of relief. His relief was short lived as the Alpha roared and heaved himself off his ass and flung himself at Stiles. Alpha and omega fell to the floor with a thud and the air from Stiles' lungs was punched out of him as the full weight of the Alpha landed on top of him. The rolling pin fell from his hand and rolled across the marble floor. 

He gritted his teeth and pushed at the Alpha's broad shoulders in an attempt to throw him off, but the Alpha simply grabbed his wrists and pinned them to the floor by his head. Stiles bucked and struggled as the Alpha straddled him but fuck!...the asshole on top of him was built like a mack truck and Stiles was many things, but physically strong enough to throw off a 200 pound pissed off Alpha was not one of them. Usually in these situations, he relied on his speed and quick thinking; neither of which would help him today. 

The Alpha tightened his hold on Stiles' wrists and finally looked at him. The Alpha's hazel green eyes widened as Stiles heard a sharp intake of breath. 

 

************************

 

Derek gasped as he saw the face of the boy below him. Eyes the colour of molten gold sat in a pale face atop a slim upturned nose and full, pink lips. The boy's pale skin was flushed and sweaty, but the red on his cheeks only served to highlight the deep chocolate moles scattered across the otherwise unblemished skin. The boy swallowed and Derek's gaze was drawn to a long, pale throat. As the boy scowled at him and arched his body underneath Derek to try and dislodge him, Derek felt his breathing shallow and his heart race. Who the fuck was this kid? 

Without conscious thought, he felt his hands tighten further around the boy's wrists and his body lean down into the boy's arched frame. The boy abruptly stopped moving and stared at Derek as his chest heaved from exertion. Derek had no idea how long he gazed into the golden depths of the boy's eyes, only that for some reason, he had no desire to move. Ever again. 

"DEREK!" He startled and released the boy's wrists as he heard the rebuke in his grandfather's sharp tone. Derek felt a strong hand grasp his collar before his body was yanked off the golden eyed boy and made to stand on trembling legs. He looked up to see piercing blue eyes darkening in anger. 

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" his grandfather asked as Derek looked over his shoulder to see the boy being helped off the ground by Cam. His entire family stood slack jawed at the entrance to the kitchen, and Derek's heart pounded in confusion and embarrassment. Kate stepped into the kitchen and slipped around his grandfather to check if he was ok. Derek removed her hand from his cheek and turned back to his grandfather who looked even angrier than he had a moment ago. 

"Derek, I want an explanation." His grandfather clenched his jaw as Kate continued to fuss over him and crossed his arms. 

"I...I heard Cam screaming...when I came in I...I saw him being held by..." Derek glanced across the kitchen to the boy "...Cam was screaming...I thought..." 

Cam stepped out from behind his grandfather and rolled his eyes before huffing in anger. 

"He's my friend Derek, God! We were just screwing around, I can't believe you went all Alpha on him! He's an omega Derek, you could have hurt him!" Derek stared at his little brother in shock. Cam never got angry with him, despite being so far apart in age, they'd always been close. What the hell was happening? 

His grandfather clapped a hand to Cam's shoulder and told him to calm down, before beckoning the boy with the aureate eyes . His grandfather placed an arm around the boy's slim shoulders and turned to face the Hale brood. 

"I suppose introductions are in order. Some of you are already aware of him, but for those of you who are not..." his grandfather glanced at him "...this is my new employee; Stiles. As Cam mentioned, he is an omega and will be living on the estate as long as he is in my employ. I expect everyone to treat him with the same respect they show Ada. Now that's out of the way, I believe it is time to eat. Stiles? You're dismissed for the day but let me know if you need anything." 

The boy nodded and walked out of the kitchen closely followed by Cam. Derek could hear their hushed exchange, where the boy insisted he was fine and Cam repeatedly apologised for his 'moron brother'. Ouch. 

"I'm sorry Grandpa...I just...Cam.." his grandfather's eyes softened as he gently laid a hand on his shoulder. 

"It's allright Derek, now come on, let's eat." Derek smiled and nodded before moving to follow the rest of the family out of the kitchen. As he stepped forward, a sharp pain tore through his left leg and he stumbled before holding onto Kate to steady himself. 

"Oh my god, Derek what's wrong? Are you ok? What did that omega do to you? Derek?" His mother asked as she rushed forward and helped Kate to sit him down in a chair. His father and sisters stepped back into the kitchen, and everyone gasped in shock as his mother rolled up his pant leg to reveal a deep bleeding gash across the top of his left knee. He hadn't even felt the pain before, which was fucking inexplicable considering how much it hurt now. He saw his mother's lips purse as two red spots appeared on her cheeks. She turned to his grandfather and pointed a finger at him accusingly. 

"I told you Dad; this is what happens when you pick up garbage from the street and give it a place in your home. That...that...worthless omega trull just hurt my son! You can try to gentrify that Trou..." Laura stepped forward and grabbed their mother's arm tightly as the slur left his mother's mouth, but she shrugged her daughter off and continued ranting "....all you want, but they are what they are, dad!" 

Derek heard a sob from the doorway and saw Cam stood at the entrance to the kitchen, blue eyes filling with tears and lips trembling. His father rushed forward to comfort him but Cam stumbled back before running off down the hallway, tears rolling down his cheeks. 

"Get out." 

He had never heard his grandfather speak to anyone with such loathing, and he watched as his mother clapped a trembling hand to her mouth and shook her head. 

"D-dad please...I -" His grandfather raised a hand to cut her off before he spoke. 

"I am going to console my grandson. If I find any of you here when I return, I will NOT be happy" he said in a voice infused with all of the authority of an Alpha, before pushing past Derek's father on his way out the kitchen. 

The tense silence in the kitchen was finally broken by Cora. 

"Well, that was quite a homecoming brother. If only all our family dinners were this entertaining." Derek told her to shut her mouth as the image of golden eyes and trembling pink lips flashed before his eyes. 

 

***********************

 

Stiles opened the lid of the black metal box and pulled out an old photograph sitting at the bottom of it. He pushed the box across the bed and leaned back against the headboard as he rubbed a thumb across the smiling face of his father. In the photograph, a 5 year old version of him sat on his father's lap in front of a small Christmas tree festooned with tinsel and colourful baubles, smiling widely. 

Stiles pulled the blanket from the foot of the bed and curled into it. The small cottage was warm around him but he shuddered as he recalled the feel of the Alpha's strong hands around his wrists. He tried to forget the way the hazel green eyes had darkened above him, as the Alpha's breathing became shallow and he leaned down into his body. 

Fuck! No. No way. Stiles clenched his eyes shut and held the photograph close to his heart. He may be an omega but he was not fucking weak. He would never yield to an Alpha. 

 

***********************

"Oh Talia, are you ok?" Kate asked as the Hale's shrugged into their jackets under the watchful gaze of a disapproving Ada. Derek turned away and buttoned up his jacket, too embarrassed by tonight's events to look the woman in the eye. His mother turned to Kate with a dejected expression. 

"I don't know. I didn't mean...it's just that boy...I don't know what dad's thinking." 

Laura paused and stared at her mother in shock, before snorting in disgust and stomping out the door. His mother stared at the rest of her family with a troubled expression. David Hale buttoned up his jacket stoically and Cora simply watched the scene unfold in amusement. Kate reached for his mother's hands and held them tightly in her own. 

"You did nothing wrong Talia, don't worry, everything will be fine. William should really have consulted you before allowing an omega from the street to mingle with your family. I mean, can you imagine the things that boy's probably done? It makes me ill just thinking of a sweet, innocent omega like Cameron being dirtied by that boy's company....really, what will people think?" Derek stayed silent as his mother smiled at Kate gratefully and nodded. 

"Exactly Kate! Cam's just a child, I can't allow his reputation to be sullied by his association with that boy! How will he ever find a respectable mate match if people think he's....I can't even say it." His distraught mother collapsed in his father's arms as Kate nodded sympathetically. 

"You're right Talia. It's exactly why mother campaigns with such passion; these...degenerates need to be contained." Derek pulled the keys from his pocket and walked...well limped away, not wanting to hear anymore of the stupid discussion going on between his mother and girlfriend. His knee throbbed below it's tight casing and he sent a quick text to Boyd, asking him to come to the house tomorrow to check his wound. 

As he started the car and honked for Kate to hurry up, he tried to forget the feeling of the boy's wrists in his hands and the beautiful arch of his back as he leaned into him. 

"Sorry Der, ready to go?" Derek jumped as Kate laid a hand on his shoulder. When the hell had she slipped into the car? He shook his head and smiled at his girlfriend. 

"Yeah, sorry, let's go." 

 

***********************

William Hale brushed a stray curl from his grandson's face and pulled the sheet up over his skinny shoulders. The boy had finally fallen asleep after hours of sobbing in anger and frustration, and William prayed that a good night's sleep would help to soothe the boy somewhat. He quietly closed the door to Cam's room behind him, walked to his study and poured himself a drink. 

Talia had crossed a line tonight and daughter or no, it was high time she faced the consequences of her actions. William powered up his laptop and began typing. 

 

TBC ..........


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Laura vents her frustrations.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy this chapter. Derek will be back soon, don't worry! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Laura pushed the button to raise the privacy window between her and the driver, and fished out her phone as the car pulled out of her grandfather's drive. She tapped the picture of her uncle's smiling face and waited impatiently for him to pick up his phone. He answered a moment later, sounding just as impatient as she felt. 

"I know Laura, I'm on my way. Hear that beep? That's the sound of me unlocking my car. So; take a deep breath, reign in the murderous rage, and play nice. I'd hate to turn up looking resplendent in my new $4000 Paul Smith suit, only to find you being arrested for matricide." Laura massaged her temples and dropped her head back onto the headrest. 

"Don't bother Peter, I'm heading your way. You have vodka right?" Her uncle sighed and she heard another beeping sound in the background. 

"Tch, all dressed up and nowhere to go. What did my darling sister do this time?" She closed her eyes and recalled her 11 year old brother's tear stained face. 

"Grandpa has a new omega in his employ, and suffice it to say, mother was not pleased." Peter snorted and she heard the telltale sound of a bottle being opened. 

"So what else is new? You know, with that stick being lodged so far up her ass, I'm not surprised she suffers from a chronic case of bitchitis." Laura choked out a laugh even she said 'Peter!' in an admonishing tone. As the amusement abated, she blew out a deep breath and turned her head to stare out of the tinted window. 

"She called the boy a- a trou. Cam heard her say it and...dammit Peter! What the hell is wrong with my mother? How can she say such disgusting things when her own son is an omega, when her own brother.....?" She realised she was yelling into the phone and took a deep breath before continuing. 

"Peter...Cam was so hurt and Grandpa? I wouldn't be surprised if he put a permanent kibosh on her visiting the estate." Laura felt drained all of a sudden and absently looked out at the passing landscape. 

"Lo?" Hearing her childhood nickname in her uncle's voice soothed her anger, and she smiled wearily. 

"Yes?"

"I'm here, ok? Just get to me and everything will be ok." 

Laura smiled in the dark interior of the car but remained otherwise silent, as her uncle tried to lift her mood by recounting amusing stories from his recent trip to London. 

"You with me Lo?" her uncle asked in a concerned voice. 

"I'm here Uncle Peter." 

 

************************

 

Peter Hale ended the call with his niece; satisfied that she was in a better mood. He unbuttoned his jacket and waistcoat and draped them over the back of the couch, before rolling up his sleeves and taking a sip of the amber liquor in his glass. Fucking Talia! One dinner!?! The woman couldn't get through one family dinner without opening her mouth and fucking everything up!

Peter scrolled through his phone and tapped the green icon to call his father. 

"Hello?" 

He frowned as he heard the feminine voice answer the call. "Ada?" 

"Oh, Peter! I'm so sorry dear, I don't have my glasses so I couldn't see who was calling." The woman had worked for his father for over 20 years and he'd never heard her so flustered, which was not a good sign.

"It's fine Ada, may I speak with my father?" Ada said nothing for a moment and he heard a a door being opened and then closed through the phone. 

"Peter, he's with Cameron right now and the child's so upset that I doubt he'd come to the phone. Oh Peter....I wish you'd been here...it was terrible...". Peter listened as Ada recounted the entire sorry tale. By the end of it, he was so angry that he snatched his car keys from the table and was ready to go and confront his bitch of a sister. It was the knock at the door that halted his steps. 

He assured Ada that he'd drop by to see his father and nephew the next day, and ended the call with a sincere 'take care' before answering the door. Laura stood on the doorstep looking tired but nonetheless beautiful in a fitted, navy, knee length pencil dress. 

"I heard a bottle being opened over the phone; any chance it's that expensive vodka I like?" Peter smiled and pulled his niece into an embrace before leading her into the lounge and handing her a large tumbler filled with amber fluid. 

"No vodka, but I promise, the whiskey is just as expensive" he said, before she tossed back the entire contents of the glass and held it out for a refill. Peter arched a brow and refilled her glass before sitting down beside her. They sipped the whiskey in silence as the fire in the hearth crackled. 

"He's 11 Peter. No omega should have to hear that, but...he's 11 years old. How do you explain to an 11 year old that his mother is a bigoted egotist who cares more about what her moron group of friends thinks than what her son feels?" Peter shrugged and finished the last of his whiskey. 

"You don't Lo, you tell him that his mother made a mistake and that she didn't mean it. You convince him that his mother loves him and that she's sorry, and you comfort and love him until he's old enough to understand the complexities of the world he inhabits. It's shitty and it's deceitful, but it's what'll get Cam through the next few years. Suspecting that someone you love despises what you are is one thing, but knowing that someone you love despises what you are-" an image of a 16 year old Talia turning away from him in disgust flashed before his eyes "- is heartbreaking." 

Peter rubbed his stinging eyes and poured himself another drink with trembling hands. Laura laid her head on his shoulder and sighed quietly. 

"I haven't even told you the worst part yet." He heard the exasperation in her tone and laid his cheek against her tousled hair, thankful that she ignored his trembling hands. 

"What?" 

"Derek brought Kate Argent as his dinner date. According to mother, they've been dating for a few months, isn't that just great?" she asked sardonically. 

Peter stilled as soon as the name Argent left her lips. He tried to calm the pounding of his heart and gently dislodged her head from his shoulder before sitting forward on the couch and placing his tumbler of whiskey on the coffee table. 

"Argent huh? Interesting choice." He tried to keep his voice as nonchalant as possible and evidently succeeded, as Laura snorted and sank back into the couch, feet crossed atop the coffee table. 

"Yeah, you could say that. As if my mother's antiquated views weren't bad enough, my brother decides to date the psychotic daughter of one of the most vocally anti - omega Senators in congress. God help us, I've been hearing whispers that the witch is going to try and run for Governor next term. Ugh, can you imagine Victoria simpering for the cameras as her guard dog of a husband scowls behinds her?" 

Peter nodded along and made the right noises of agreement as Laura's tirade continued, but his mind was filled with images of a blue eyed boy who'd always kissed him with lips that tasted of honey. 

He was startled when he felt a cold dampness seep into the fabric of his pants, and looked over to see a giggling Laura holding an upturned bottle of whiskey. 

"Oh sorry Peter, I think the...uh...the liquor's getting to me. Anyway, like I was saying; fuck the Argents...stupid, bigoted assholes!" 

Peter wiped up the mess with a napkin and removed the bottle from his niece's hands. Laura blinked up at him and yawned, before smiling and curling up into the corner of the couch. He threw a blanket over her comatose form and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. 

As he stumbled up the stairs to his bedroom, he wiped away the last images of the blue eyed boy from his mind. Fuck the Argents. 

 

***********************

 

William tightened the knot on his tie before smoothing it down along the line of his shirt. A knock sounded at his bedroom door and a moment later, Stiles walked in carrying a silver tray. Cam walked in behind him, yawning and nibbling on a chocolate croissant. Stiles laid out a bowl of fruit and a steaming cup of coffee on the table by the window as Cam perched himself on the big bed in the middle of the room. 

"I know you have an early meeting this morning Mr. Hale but I thought I'd bring you a small breakfast before you left." William thanked the boy and accepted the proffered coffee before asking after Ada. 

"She's overseeing the stable repairs" answered Stiles before poking awake a slumbering Cam and leaving the room. William walked to the bed and sat beside his grandson, who had chocolate smeared across the side of his cheek, he noted with wry amusement. 

"Can I stay again tonight Grandpa?" asked Cam without looking at him. William sighed and placed a comforting arm around the boy's bony shoulders. 

"Of course you can...but Cam, you'll have to go home at some point. I'm sure your mother is missing you." He winced, even as he said the words with as much sincerity as he could. Other than one message last night, his daughter hadn't bothered to see how Cam was doing. William clenched his jaw in anger and wished that there was more that he could do to keep Cam with him. But obscene amounts of money or not, Cam was an omega 'belonging' to a safe, stable Alpha home, and no court in the country would grant him custody over the omega's primary Alpha. 

He smiled down at his grandson and told him to go and help Stiles while he finished preparing for his meeting. Cam pretended to be annoyed by the instruction, but William watched his eyes light up and noted the bounce in his step as he rushed out of the bedroom. He shrugged into his navy suit jacket and opened his briefcase to check it's contents one last time. The slim manila folder sat atop a stack of other papers in the briefcase and William steeled himself for the board meeting ahead. 

After this meeting, he doubted he and his daughter would be on speaking terms, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. William checked his phone, saw a message from Peter and swiped to read it. 

'Are you certain this is what you want to do Dad?' 

He paused and considered the ripple effects of today's meeting, and messaged his son a firm 'Yes'. Because nothing, absolutely nothing was more important than Cam.

 

TBC........


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Cam go out and William teaches Talia a lesson.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, slightly earlier than usual I know but I hope you enjoy this chapter. I know some of you are missing Sterek but I assure you, they'll be back soon ;-). 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"He's gonna kill us. And I don't mean metaphorically. I mean he is literally going to murder us. By us, I mean of course, me. He's going to murder me." Cam rolled his eyes as he shoved another handful of gummy bears in his mouth and pushed past him. 

The sounds of screaming children and hokey music filled the large, sticky floored room around him, and Stiles desperately wished he had the ability to say no to Cam. Cam, who was currently wielding a foam mallet and gleefully wacking small, furry moles over the head. When the kid had begged Stiles to take him to the arcade just after lunch, he'd been reluctant, especially as both Ada and Alpha Hale had been out of the house at the time. But after an hour of begging and pleading and the shameless utilisation of bright blue puppy dog eyes, Stiles had caved and called Marcus to drive them to the big arcade in town. 

Cam was having a blast, playing the dumb games and stuffing criminal amounts of candy into his mouth, but Stiles had had enough, and grabbed the boy's arm to pull him away from the wack a mole game. 

"Sweets, it's time to go home, we've been here for over an hour and Ada's probably freaked by now" he said, even as he prayed that Ada had found his scribbled note by the door. 

"Aww...come on Stiles, I'm probably gonna have to go home today, so let me just enjoy my last few hours of freedom....please?" The kid fucking pouted and Stiles saw actual tears cloud his bright blue eyes. Ugh! This fucking kid!

"Dammit! FINE! But we're only staying another half hour got it? I'm gonna go tell Marcus, you stay right here ok?" Cam nodded absently and started to turn back to the game. Stiles growled in frustration and yanked the kid back. 

"Hey, Sweets? Right here, you got me? You do not move." Cam huffed in annoyance but nodded in agreement. Stiles sighed and turned toward the exit by the parking lot. 

"Hey Stilinski?!" Stiles stopped and turned as he heard Cam's shout. 

"Yeah?"

"I'm out of gummy bears, just a fyi." Cam grinned and shook his empty candy cup, before turning back to the game. Ugh, fucking kid! Stiles stomped out of the double doors to the parking lot. 

Neither boy noticed the interested gaze of the man stood by the Pacman game.

 

***************************

William studied the faces of the 15 men and women sat around the ebony table and leaned back in his chair. The board had been reviewing his proposal for an hour now, and many of the faces around the table still seemed unsure. 

"William, I confess I'm uncertain as to why you wish to institute this change." Linda Penner was a 52 year old Bostonian who was a whiz with numbers and currently held the position of treasurer on the board. The sun filtering through the floor to ceiling windows glinted off the sleek frame of her spectacles and irritated his eyes as he turned to look at her. The woman was all angles and edges and despite the loose fit of her blouse, he could still see the sharp bones of her collar poking through the soft material. 

"A board should not stagnate Linda; I believe that an injection of fresh blood would help the company to modernise and adapt to the needs of today's consumer. The landscape of the retail industry has changed dramatically in the last 5 years alone, and this company needs someone who is more conversant with the retail market as it stands today." 

The woman pursed her lips and glanced at the other board members before leaning forward and folding her hands on the table top. 

"That is a valid point, and I agree with your statement that the company needs to modernise, but...Talia's been on the board for over 9 years. She knows the job and has a vast, and may I add useful, network of lobbyists. With last quarters drop in stock price, is now really the time to be switching out a board member?" 

William glanced at Peter and nodded. Peter pulled out 15 copies of the same profile and handed them to each of the board members. 

"Who's Austin Healey?" asked Roger Flynn. Roger was the former chairman of Concordia Airlines and had served on the board for over 6 years. 

"Austin Healey is the self made multi millionaire who started the 'FeedMe' app. As you can see from his profile, Mr. Healey's business was founded 5 years ago and is now the biggest social networking site for those working in or around the food industry. Last year Google offered to buy his app for $2 billion with an option to stay on as a consultant. Mr. Healey accepted the offer and is currently working with a US based NGO to distribute food packets on the African continent, with a current focus on the DRC. He's young, he's ambitious, and he knows the online market. And to your point of lobbyists Linda; Mr. Healey is currently working with various consumer groups as well as the state department as part of his current venture." The board gaped at him as he finished speaking and gathered his papers. 

"So, with that said, I'll leave you to review the proposal and I suggest we reconvene in 2 hours." He stood up and buttoned his suit jacket, before patting his son on the shoulder and walking to the conference room door. 

"William?" He turned at Roger's voice but kept his hand on the door knob. 

"Are you sure? .... She's your daughter....I mean..." William released the door knob and turned to face the balding Roger Flynn. He stood at the foot of the long, rectangular table and placed his left hand in his pocket before speaking. 

"This isn't personal. It's business. You're my board of directors, I shouldn't need to remind you of that."

Roger flushed a delicate pink and nodded as he averted his gaze. William arched a brow and swept his gaze around the room before turning around and walking out the door. 

It took less than an hour for him to receive the call. Austin Healey was in and Talia was out. 

 

*************************

Peter sat across from his father and waited for the call. After twenty minutes, his father's secretary finally called and announced that Talia was waiting for him in the conference room. His father stood from his Eames office chair and picked up the manila folder from his desk, before turning to him with a grim expression. 

"Ready son?" 

Peter swallowed and paused to consider the answer. Did Talia deserve this? Images from his childhood assaulted him and he came to a decision. Yes, she did. 

"After you dad."

 

************************

 

Talia crossed her legs and picked a stray piece of lint from her skirt. She had no idea why she was here but was hoping her father had decided to forget about the little misunderstanding at dinner last night. Talia reached for her purse and removed her compact mirror before reapplying her lipstick. 

As she replaced the cap on the lipstick, her father opened the door and walked into the room, with Peter following closely behind him. She narrowed her eyes and snapped the mirror shut as Peter took a seat across from her. 

"Peter" she greeted with forced civility. Her brother smirked at her and leaned back in his seat obnoxiously. 

"Talia, always so good to see you." She ignored the barely veiled sarcasm and turned her attention to her father. 

"I'm so glad you called Dad. Listen, I know last night some things were said in the heat of the moment, but I hope we can move past it and -" she paused as her father slid a manila folder across the table. Feeling uneasy, her gaze flitted between her father and her brother as she reached across the table for the folder. 

"What's this?" she asked. Her father remained poker faced and told her to 'read it'. Talia furrowed her brow and opened the folder. 

The silence in the room became heavier and heavier with each word she read, until she felt her breath being choked from her lungs under its weight. 

"Y-you can't d-do this...Dad..." she rasped as her father and brother watched her silently. 

The legal notice in front of her informed her that not only was she being removed from the board of directors, her access to the family accounts was also being restricted. Talia re-read the second half of the notice, which laid out the provisions for a monthly 'stipend' and 'reminded' her of the restrictions placed on the sale of her stock in the company. Her hands trembled as she saw a copy of the boards decision behind the legal notice, dated for today and signed by all of the serving board members. 

"I am the Founder, CEO, and majority shareholder of this business; so yes Talia, I can do this." Her father's voice was tightly controlled as he spoke, but she saw the rage behind the composed facade. 

"Why...why a-are you doing t-this?" 

Her father glanced at Peter, who sat stoically beside him, and then to the ring on his left hand. 

"For years I ignored the off colour remarks and turned a blind eye at your behaviour because you're my daughter, and I believed that your attitude was simply the unfortunate result of the company you kept. I see now that, that was a mistake. Your treatment of omegas has been abhorrent in the past, and I deeply regret doing nothing to curb your behaviour sooner, but last night....you crossed a line. This is the result of that breach Talia. You will receive a modest stipend every month but you are no longer part of my business. Do you understand?" The full authority of an Alpha bled into his voice as he spoke and she felt her own Alpha spine stiffen in response. She crumpled the sheets of paper in her hand and stood up before picking up her purse. 

"You can't do this to me" she spat venomously. 

Her brother's eyes flashed in anger as he looked up at her, but her father remained cold and composed as he too stood and buttoned his suit jacket. 

"I just did, Talia." 

Her father gestured for Peter to follow him and both men left the room. Talia seethed in rage as she stood alone in the conference room clutching her purse. 

 

************************

The man turned back to the colourful arcade game before him as the older omega returned and handed the young blue eyed omega a bag of candy. He pulled his phone from the inside pocket of his coat and discreetly snapped a few pictures of the two vibrant young omegas. Having taken the pictures, he moved into a shadowed recess at the back of the arcade, and sent the images to the only number saved on the phone. 

The man chewed on a stick of gum as he watched the boys, and waited for a response. Two minutes later, his phone buzzed and he smiled as he read the message. 

'Very nice. 3 parties already interested. Bring them in.' 

 

TBC..........


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Cam meet someone new......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, early chapter update because I'm going to be busy later. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Stiles checked his watch and tapped Cam on the shoulder. 

"Time to go Sweets" he said as the kid groaned and pouted. He rolled his eyes at Cam's theatrics and asked the kid for his phone. 

"Ok, I'm texting Marcus to pull the car round, so you've got 5 minutes to finish up..." he looked beyond Cam's shoulder to the blaring lights of the arcade machine "...whatever crap you're playing. 5 minutes Cam." 

Cam sighed in defeat and quickly turned round to finish...god, whatever bullshit game included ponies and dragons. 

"D'you mind grabbing me a soda before we go?" asked Cam, without even having the courtesy to turn around. Ugh, fucking kid!

"Of course my lord, anything fucking else?" he asked sarcastically. The kid glanced back and positively beamed at his surly attitude. 

"Nah. Now, go forth and retrieve a soda for your lord, for he is thirsty!" Stiles frowned as Cam fell over himself laughing, but his scowl only made the kid laugh harder. He huffed and punched Cam in the arm as he strode over to the concession stand to buy the brat his soda.

The kid's phone buzzed in his hand and he looked down to see that Marcus had messaged him back to say that the car had stalled, but that he'd be at the arcade entrance in 15 minutes. Oh well, he thought, atleast the brat would be happy. 

As he walked back from the concession stand a minute later, chilled can of soda in hand, he noticed someone talking to Cam. The guy looked to be in his early twenties and was the epitome of a cool Californian surfer; tall, lean build with smooth tanned skin, dazzling white teeth and dirty blonde hair. Stiles frowned when he saw surfer dude ruffle Cam's hair and hastened his pace. 

"Hey Cam, who's your friend?" Surfer dude smiled at him and extended his hand in greeting, but Stiles simply nodded at him as a sense of unease settled like lead in his stomach. Cam looked at him in confusion before introducing surfer dude. 

"Stiles, this is Zach. He was just showing me how to defeat the dragon." Surfer dude smiled and nodded before asking Cam about his favourite games. Something was off...he couldn't put his finger on it, but something was definitely off. Stiles had long ago learned to trust his instincts, there's no way he would have survived on the streets if he hadn't. 

He examined surfer dude from head to toe and felt the uneasy feeling grow. The dude was dressed like a typical beach bum, but the shorts and tank were too clean, and his sandals creaked as though they were brand new. Staring closely at his face under the mop of blonde hair, he also realised the guy was a lot older than he'd initially thought. As surfer dude laughed and moved into Cam's space to show him 'how to kill the dragon with the magic pony sword' (seriously what the fuck was the kid playing?), Stiles noted the deeply etched lines around his eyes and mouth. 

He swept his gaze across the arcade and quickly spotted two men who looked alien in the juvenile setting. The men sat in front of a foozeball table near the entrance, about fifteen feet away. Neither man was playing the game and Stiles couldn't see any wife or kids around that would explain why two guys in their mid fifties were sitting quietly in front of a foozeball table, casting furtive glances around the room. 

His heart raced and a sheen of sweat dampened his body. Stiles kept one eye on an oblivious Cam, while discreetly looking around for exit routes. He spotted a fire exit by the bathrooms at the opposite end of the arcade and checked Cam's phone quickly. He saw a text from Marcus that simply read 'ETA 10 minutes'. Shit! Ten minutes was too long. Stiles chewed on his lip and considered his next move as he saw the two old guys by the entrance check their phones and push off their stools. Fuck! He desperately looked around the room before looking down at the can in his hand. 

He looked between the can and the slowly approaching men once, twice, three times, before shaking the can furiously. Stiles stepped forward, opened the can of soda and sprayed it in surfer dude's eyes. The guy yelled in pain and shielded his eyes as Stiles grabbed the arm of a shocked Cam and ran. He dragged Cam along behind him and ran toward the fire exit. Chests heaving, they finally reached the door and he pulled Cam in front of him before pushing on the door handle. As the lever was pushed down, a cacophonous ringing sounded through the arcade and he heard the shouts and screams of the stampeding patrons behind him.

Stiles slammed the door behind him and gestured for Cam to follow him. The kid looked terrified and hesitated a moment before grabbing his hand. 

"Stiles?...." Cam's voice shook and his eyes darkened in fear. Stiles looked around and smiled in relief as he spotted a Big K store sign up ahead. Thank fuck for the Hale empire, he thought, as he turned back to Cam. 

"I got you Sweets. Don't worry. I got you." Cam nodded and followed his lead; running as fast as their legs carried them until they finally reached the Big K store. Once inside, he messaged Marcus and told him where to find them. Cam sat on the grey tiled floor of the store and stared at him with frightened eyes. 

"Who was he?"

Stiles considered how to answer the question without completely traumatising the kid. He'd recognised the look in the men's eyes almost immediately, it was the same look he'd seen in the eyes of countless men and women when he'd been sleeping rough; lechery. He crouched down and gripped Cam's skinny, trembling shoulder. 

"They were bad men Cam, but don't worry you're safe now." Stiles sat cross legged in front of him and tried to calm the kid down. Five minutes later, a flustered looking Marcus found them, and a half hour after that, they were back home. Safe, and in Cam's case, a little more disillusioned with the world. 

 

************************

 

Derek tightened his arms around his trembling brother and felt another wave of fury wash over him. As he lulled Cam to sleep on the couch, he saw Ada smooth a hand across Stiles' head in comfort, before advising him to get some rest. The omega glanced at the boy resting in his arms and nodded, before walking out the door. 

Derek reigned in his rage until Cam finally drifted off to sleep. He then gently lifted his brother off the couch and carried him up the stairs to his bedroom. As he closed the bedroom door behind him, he saw Ada standing near the top of the stairs, nervously wringing her hands. Derek curled his shaking hands into fists and stormed past her but Ada grasped his arm and threw herself in front of him. 

"No Derek, please don't! Why don't we just wait for William....he'll be back soon..." the beta pleaded as she blocked his path. Ada had worked for his grandfather for over two decades and she'd been in his life for as long as he could remember, but right now he didn't give a flying fuck. His 11 year old baby brother had returned home trembling in fear, with tears streaming down his face, choking out a story about 'bad men', and he was determined to make someone pay. And he had just the little fucker in mind. 

He heard nothing but white noise as fury shrouded him. He firmly commanded Ada to move and the petrified beta reluctantly cleared his path before he ran down the stairs and out the door. He strode across his grandfather's estate until he reached the small cottage and pounded on the door with a heavy fist. 

After a few minutes, the door finally opened to reveal a shirtless, sleepy eyed Stiles. The little asshole had been asleep? How fucking dare he go to sleep after putting Cam in such danger? Derek's chest heaved with rage as he pushed into the cottage and slammed the omega into a wall. 

Stiles' bare back hit the wall with a 'thwack' before he fell to the floor in a crumpled heap. Derek stepped forward and towered over the fallen omega.

"You worthless piece of shit; what the fuck were you thinking taking him there? Do you have any idea what could have happened to him? This is the way you repay the kindness shown to you by your betters? Answer me, you fucking asshole!" he roared, enraged. 

Stiles pushed himself off the ground and sat forward on his knees. The omega's eyes remained fixed to the floor and he appeared to ignore Derek's questions as he took deep, pained breaths. Stiles' continued silence only enraged him further as he imagined what could have happened today, and he leaned forward to snatch the boy up. 

Before he could even touch him, Stiles pushed up and punched him in the crotch. Derek doubled over in pain and fell back onto his ass as the omega stood on his feet and spat the blood from his mouth. 

"You think you're my better, Richey Rich? Get the fuck up and prove it" Stiles snarled at him.

Later, he'd ask himself why that challenge dug itself right under his skin and poked at the Alpha centre of his brain, but now? Now he jumped up and tackled the omega to the ground. Stiles may have been slight, but he was fucking relentless; pounding and scratching and punching at him until Derek flipped the boy onto his stomach and lay on top of him. In a flash, Stiles flattened his palms to the ground and tried to push up against the 200 pounds of muscle but Derek quickly grabbed his wrists and held them above his head with one hand, before pressing his weight down. 

The boy struggled and spat epithets at him but he finally stopped the futile struggle and pressed his forehead to the hardwood floor as he breathed heavily. 

It was only once the boy stopped struggling and Derek felt his raging anger abate, that he realised the position he was in; his face was inches from the boy's chestnut coloured hair and his body rested against a pale expanse of naked skin. Derek felt the air leave his lungs as the boy moved beneath him and groaned. Oh fuck! The scent of the boy's sweat combined with the velveteen softness of his skin and the guttural sound of his voice, lit a fire deep in his belly. 

He scrambled off the omega in horror and watched as the boy stared at him with knowing eyes. Derek paled and rushed out of the cottage; tail literally between his legs. Oh shit, what the hell had just happened? 

 

TBC...........


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The aftermath of Derek and Stiles confrontation.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, enjoy the new chapter. Just fyi, this chapter contains a non-con scene - not rape, assault, but please be warned if this is a trigger for you. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Ring. Ring. Ring. 

The shrill sound of the phone sounded thunderous in the silence of the cottage, but Stiles ignored it as he stared at the rings of purple and yellow circling his wrists. The phone finally stopped ringing and he shuddered in the warmth of the cosy cottage. He looked down at his naked torso and frowned before slowly pushing off the chair and walking to the bedroom. 

Stiles pulled out his father's shirt from the wardrobe and shrugged into it as he walked over to the bed. He paused abruptly as he caught sight of his blood stained face in the mirror. The bruised, bloodied boy in the mirror trembled as he moved closer and closer to the glass. The boy's skin was grey and chalky, except where streaks of rust coloured blood decorated his mouth and chin, his eyes were dull and muted, and his hair looked brittle as it stood in crazy peaks around his head. Stiles could barely recognise the cadaverous face staring back at him, and giggled hysterically. 

The giggling soon turned into an uncontrollable, shrieking laughter as sparks of pain shot through his wrists. The corpse like boy in the mirror laughed along with him until he pulled back his fist and punched the asshole in the mouth. The tinkling sound of shattering glass filled the small room as a burning pain radiated through his hand. Stiles stared at his bloody fist in morbid fascination and let the pain calm the chaos in his mind. 

He could still feel the weight of the Alpha at his back, and shuddered as he felt the warmth of moist breath on the back of his neck. No, no, no NO! Stiles strode into the bathroom and stripped before climbing into the shower. He switched on the shower and scrubbed his body under the hot spray of water until his pale skin coloured a deep pink. As the scorching water pounded his body, he remembered the first time he'd felt this vulnerable...felt so much like an omega. 

○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○

10 months ago: 

 

Stiles smiled gratefully at the blonde woman as she handed him a steaming bowl of soup and a small packet of crackers. He curled his freezing hands around the warm bowl and shuffled over to an empty bench. 

It had been 3 weeks since that night in the factory, when he'd woken up hard and wet, and he still hadn't found a another job or a safe place to stay. The weather had been terrible over the last week, wet and cold, which made sleeping on the street that much more difficult. The rare places of dry warmth that were available, were coveted by the destitute and guarded fiercely, and Stiles just didn't have the energy or, in many cases, the physical strength to fight for a small patch of dry sidewalk. 

Stiles placed the bowl and packet of crackers on the bench beside him and zipped up his jacket. This locally run shelter had been his salvation over the past week; he'd lost another 10 pounds since running from the factory and was just thankful that he was finally eating enough to bring some colour back into his gaunt cheeks. 

A tall, scrawny guy with a scraggly beard sat beside him on the bench, and Stiles grabbed his bowl of soup and packet of crackers, and turned away. He didn't like talking to anyone in these places, wary of the assessing gazes of the men and women he met. He opened his packet of crackers and nibbled on them, before sipping at the creamy soup. Stiles heard the guy behind him inhale deeply before scooting closer and closer, until he could smell the guy's rancid breath over his shoulder.

He jumped off the bench and scurried across the packed room without looking back. The rest of his dinner was consumed huddled by the entrance, eyes darting back and forth across the crowd. Once the crackers were gone and his bowl was empty, he rushed out of the shelter and cut across the alley to his little hideout behind the park. The night was dark and freezing, and he stuffed his cold hands into the pockets of his jacket as he hurried along the alley. 

He heard a rustling sound behind him and turned to see what it was, but was grabbed by a bony hand and slammed into the wall. A lean body pressed tightly against his back and he smelled foul breath as a deep voice whispered disgusting things into his ear. Stiles heard the sound of a zipper and struggled against the surprisingly strong hold, but the man simply pushed him into the wall harder. Fear seized him and he yelled as he felt the bony hands at his waist. 

"Aaah, yeah, that's it omega...scream for me..." 

Stiles felt the stranger's finger's pulling at his jeans desperately, as he finally curled his hand around the gun in his pocket and pushed off the wall. The man jerked back in surprise, and Stiles turned with the gun in hand to see his would be rapist with his pants around his ankles. The scrawny guy from the shelter stood before him, shaking his head back and forth as he tried to back away. 

"Ok, k-kid...I'm sorry, right? I'll g-go..." the bastard stammered as he stared wide eyed at the gun. Stiles slowly backed out of the alley but kept the gun trained on the trembling man. As soon as he was on the street, he pocketed his father's gun and ran while his heart pounded crazily beneath his frail ribcage. 

It had taken him 4 days to muster the courage to venture out of his hideout again. 

○•○•○•○•○•○•○

Present time:

 

As the now cooling water rained down on his body, Stiles pressed his fingers to the bruises around his left wrist and made himself a promise. Today would be the last time he'd allow himself to be dominated and subdued and beaten by those who considered his kind nothing but a living, breathing fleshlight. Enough was enough. 

 

************************

 

Derek shut the door behind him and pressed his forehead to the cool wood. What the fuck had just happened? What the fuck was wrong with him? 

Ever since he'd first set eyes on Stiles, everything had felt strange to him. He hadn't been able to get the omega's golden eyes out of his mind, even as Kate clenched around him and screamed in ecstasy. What the fuck was happening to him? Stiles had almost lost Cam today, but all he could think about....fuck, even now... was the flash of anger that had electrified the golden eyes as the omega stared down at him and said "you think you're my better, Richey Rich? Get the fuck up and prove it". 

Derek pushed off the door in disgust. What was wrong with him? Stiles was just a fucked up kid off the streets, and he had a girlfriend; a beautiful girlfriend who was smart and hot and had perfectly acceptable hazel eyes. He was determined to forget the smell and feel of the boy's body beneath him, as images of Kate flashed through his mind. Kate was his girlfriend and Stiles was just the help; the help that had almost cost him his brother. 

The loud slamming of a door made him jump, and he turned to see his grandfather standing at the top of the stairs with a furious expression on his face. 

"What did you do Derek?" 

 

***********************

 

William looked out of the windows in the direction of the cottage and wondered whether or not he should call Stiles again. 

"Grandpa? I know you're...angry with me but...dammit, he put Cam in danger! Isn't my reaction warranted? Even a little bit?" 

William turned back to Derek and saw him cross his arms as a frustrated expression painted his face. He walked across the room and sat down in his armchair before speaking. 

"Warranted? Do you even know what happened today?" he asked his grandson in a cool voice. Derek clenched his jaw and narrowed his eyes. 

"Yes Grandpa, I do; that...street kid, took my brother off the estate without permission, and put him in a situation where he was in danger of being fu- freaking kidnapped! So forgive me if I'm feeling a little ticked off with the kid!" 

William remained silent for a moment before he asked "did you ask Cam exactly what happened? Or did you simply infer the boy's guilt from the few things Cam was able to tell you in a state of shock?" Derek uncrossed his arms and averted his gaze. 

"That's what I thought. So let me tell you exactly what happened Derek, and then you can tell me whether or not your reaction was warranted. Cam begged Stiles to take him out because he was upset at having to go home today after yesterday's....incident. Stiles acquiesced, left a note for Ada, and asked Marcus to drive them to the big arcade in town. When he noticed a strange man talking to Cam, he stepped in, sprayed the man in the face with a can of soda, before grabbing Cam and running out of there. He managed to get Cam to safety and get him home in one piece, and then the boy spent a half hour on the phone with the police providing them with full descriptions of the men at the arcade. Which, as you know, they probably just filed away given the dismissive attitude law enforcement have in matters relating to omegas. Yet despite knowing this, Stiles called them...all because he wanted to make Cam feel as safe as possible after this experience." William rested his ankle on his knee and leaned back into the armchair. 

"So,..." he sighed "...tell me Derek, was your reaction 'warranted'?" 

His grandson had turned as white as a sheet and stared at him in shock. William rubbed his eyes and heaved his aged body out of the armchair, before walking past a still silent Derek. He paused as he reached the staircase and glanced back at his grandson, standing stock still in the lounge. 

"Don't go near that boy again Derek. You'll have to answer to me otherwise." 

 

************************

 

"I can't believe this is happening! My own father! And all because of that stupid trou!" 

Kate handed Talia a tissue before sitting on the sofa beside her. Talia dabbed at the corners of her eyes and sniffed. 

"Tch, I feel awful for you Talia...what can William possibly be thinking?" she asked the defeated woman. Talia balled the tissue in a tight fist and practically leapt off the sofa, before pacing back and forth across the room. 

"It's Peter's influence, I'm sure of it! Ugh, all those little whore's are the same! Forever wanting what doesn't belong to them" Talia spat viciously. 

Kate smoothed her skirt before standing up and walking over to the frantic woman, and laying a hand on Talia's shoulder in a show of support. 

"You're absolutely right Talia. Even William, as brilliant of an Alpha as he is, can only be so strong when seduced by a devious, manipulative trou. You, above all, should be privy to the true nature of these creatures" she said softly, as she wiped away another tear that rolled down Talia's cheek. 

"Now, you're right; I shouldn't be surprised really, should I? Oh, Kate...what am I going to do with myself if I can't work?" 

Kate smiled and pulled out her phone before tapping on the green icon and making the call. 

"You know Talia, my mother's been meaning to speak to you...."

 

TBC.......


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter checks on Stiles and Talia gets an offer....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, please enjoy this chapter. For all you Derek lovers out there, he'll be back soon, I promise.
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are the result of my sleep deprived brain. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

The winter sun was already setting and Peter admired the rainbow of pinks and purples that painted the sky as he knocked on the cottage door, and waited patiently for the boy to answer. His phone buzzed in his hand and he looked down to see his father calling, most probably to check on his progress with the boy. As he moved to answer the call, the door to the cottage swung open to reveal a slim, pale boy, dressed in jeans and an oversized sweatshirt, holding a gun aimed at his chest. 

Peter arched a brow and smiled in amusement. Well, he thought, this is going to be fun. 

"Who the fuck are you?" The boy's voice was deeper than he anticipated but the hostility was not a surprise; not after his idiot nephew had probably berated the boy. He heard a click and saw that the boy had turned off the safety on the gun. 

"I asked you a question asshole. Who. The fuck. Are. You?"

Oh, I'm going to get on great with this kid, he thought gleefully, as the boy stepped through the doorway and pressed the gun to his chest. Peter stared down at the boy in bemusement for a moment, and before the kid could even blink, lifted his arm, grabbed the gun, and removed the magazine. When he saw that the magazine was empty, he laughed and slid it back into the gun. 

"I have to say, you're pretty ballsy for a guy with no bullets." 

The boy stared blankly at the gun in his hands for a moment, before stepping back and reaching for something by the door. Peter moved forward quickly and grabbed the boy's wrist before he could reach what turned out to be a baseball bat leaning against the wall by the door. The boy grimaced and yanked his wrist out of his grasp. 

As the boy lifted his arm and massaged his wrist, the sleeve of his sweatshirt slid down and Peter's eyes narrowed on the bruised skin. Derek. The fucking idiot. The stupid kid was becoming more his mother's son everyday. 

"I see you've met my nephew, delightful, isn't he?" he asked as he brushed past the boy and placed the gun on the small, wooden coffee table. He looked at his blackened hands in distaste and removed the handkerchief from his breast pocket to wipe them clean, before turning back to the boy. The omega stood by the open door, holding his bruised wrist and watching him warily. 

"Apologies for intruding, but my father asked me to check on you. I'm Peter Hale; uncle to the moron I assume left you with those bruises. But don't worry, I'm sure my father's...dealing with Derek as we speak." Peter smiled at the skinny omega and proffered a hand in greeting but the boy simply stared at the extended hand, snorted and shook his head. 

"There's no reason to introduce yourself, I won't be staying long. Now, get out" snapped the boy before reaching for the baseball bat and clutching it tightly in his hand. 

The kid was planning on leaving? What the hell had Derek done to the child to make him want to leave the security of his father's employ and return to a life of destitution? The smile fell from his face and was replaced by a deep frown. The two omega's regarded one another in silence as the the sound of horses neighing floated through the open door. 

"Where could you possibly go that would be safer or more comfortable than where you are right now?" he asked, genuinely curious to see if the ballsy omega had an actual plan. 

The boy laughed bitterly and pulled off his sweatshirt before spinning around. As well as the bruises circling his wrists, there was a large reddish purple bruise decorating the boy's lower back, curling over his hip. Peter studied the painful bruising and mentally rebuked his nephew; to use his strength against a boy so physically inferior to himself was inexcusable. The boy pulled the oversized sweatshirt back on and turned to look at him with a mocking smile. 

"You're right Peter Hale; where could I go that would be any fucking safer than this place?" he asked facetiously. Peter sighed and stepped forward cautiously. 

"Ok, you're right, my nephew is an idiot, and he will be dealt with. I underst-" 

"Don't!" The boy spat, interruptimg him. "Don't you fucking dare say you understand. How could you possibly understand? Look at you..." he said incredulously "....how could a rich, pretty boy omega like you, know anything about my life? Did you start your first heat at the back of a fucking meat packing factory, alone and terrified? Have you ever been so hungry and so cold that you actually considered bending over and just...fucking allowing yourself to be used, just to get some hot food? Have you ever been leered at by alphas and betas who think it's their fucking god given right to fuck you, even when you're just a kid needing a safe place to sleep? Have you ever prayed to just....feel safe...just for one fucking day...to feel safe?" The boy exhaled a shaky breath and angrily wiped the tears from his eyes, before fixing a furious gaze on Peter. 

"I'm gonna guess no, asshole. You live in a mansion behind tall gates and high walls with enough money to bankroll a country, and you think you understand me?!? Just because you're an omega? FUCK. YOU. I don't want or need your fucking fake empathy. Get out and leave me the fuck alone!" 

Peter said nothing for a moment, just watched the boy wipe spittle from his mouth and catch his breath. He fixed the cuffs of his shirt sleeves below his suit jacket and straightened his tie, before looking up at the red faced omega. 

"Are you really so naive as to believe that your suffering is unique?" he asked the boy in a low voice. "You know nothing about me, yet you assume that I am untouched by the difficulties the life of an omega brings...even tall gates and high walls can only offer so much protection in this country." The boy set his jaw stubbornly and looked away. 

"The way my father spoke of you led me to believe that you would be...more. I confess, I am disappointed. I have no time for omega's who wallow in misery while doing nothing to lessen the plight of our kind. You think you have suffered? You cannot even imagine the true depths of an omega's suffering." Peter walked across the small room to the front door, but paused with his hand on the door knob and glanced back at the boy. He reached for a business card in his pocket and placed it on the small table by the door. 

"If you ever get tired of being the chief guest at your own pity party, give me a call; this pampered pretty boy may be able to help you" he said, before closing the door behind him. His phone buzzed and he sighed before answering the call. 

"Yes dad, how can I be of service?" he asked, slipping the mask back on with ease. 

 

***********************

 

Talia smiled as Victoria Argent pulled open the front door and embraced her. 

"Tally, it's so good to see you! Come in, come in, you must be freezing out there!" fretted Victoria before leading her through to the spacious dining room. Talia handed the maid her coat and looked around the newly decorated room. The walls had been painted a deep, sumptuous red, and the new walnut dining furniture gleamed beneath the two crystal chandeliers. 

"Oh, Tory, it looks beautiful" she told her friend as another maid brought them wine. Victoria smiled in thanks and gestured for her to sit down. 

As Victoria tersely instructed the maids to serve dinner, Talia watched her friend and felt relief wash over her. She and Victoria had been friends since the first day they had met, at the tender age of eleven. Her father's business had just gone public and she'd been enrolled in the most exclusive private school in the state; Bruton Manor. She had first met Victoria; a pretty brunette with a sharp mind and even sharper tongue, on her third day at the school and the two had become fast friends. Victoria's family were considered 'old money', and the idea that such a pretty, popular girl hailing from such a prestigious family wanted to be her friend, had made her feel special. 

She was startled from her thoughts by Victoria gently touching her hand.  
"I'm so sorry about William, Tally. I'm shocked by his behaviour, to be honest." Talia shrugged and slumped in her chair. 

"I'm sure this is Peter's doing, you know how he gets, ugh, stupid omega! But Tory..." she leaned forward and squeezed her friend's hand "...I feel awful for making you cut your vacation short. You didn't have to fly back today, just for me." 

Victoria huffed in annoyance before saying "don't be ridiculous Tally! You're my best friend, of course I was going to come!" 

Talia smiled gratefully at her friend and sat up straight as the maids served dinner. As she picked at her steak and salad, Victoria cleared her throat and patted her mouth delicately with the napkin, before looking up at her. 

"Actually Tally, I've been meaning to speak to you for some time." Talia nodded and set down her knife and fork. "As you know, this is my third term as State Senator and I think it's time I made a change. I'm running for Governor next term and I want you to help me run the campaign." 

Talia gaped at her friend in shock for a moment before stuttering out excuses about her lack of experience. Victoria silenced her with a wave of her hand and leaned forward. 

"Nonsense Tally, you're smart, you know how I work and how I think, and you've been working with congress and lobbyists for years. If not you, then who?" 

She conceded her friends point; she knew exactly how Victoria worked and she did have numerous connections in Washington through her work with the Hale Empire. Talia seriously considered the offer and smiled as she realised how much she wanted to do it. She laughed in disbelief and turned to her dear friend. 

"Let's do it Tory, I'm with you." Victoria stood up and embraced her in delight. As the excitement calmed and they resumed their dinner, Talia realised she hadn't asked the most important question. 

"Tory? What's your platform?" 

Victoria set down her cutlery and took a sip of her wine before answering. 

"Something I believe to be an important issue, and one I believe that my fellow Alpha's and Beta's want to be addressed; omega rights. Or rather, what I find to be the unnecessarily far reaching legislation regarding 'their rights'. " 

Talia's eyes widened in surprise. The current Governor had won the election on a platform of 'equal rights for all', so the idea that only 4 years later, Victoria wanted to run on a polar opposite platform was unlikely to garner a positive outcome. She voiced this concern to her friend but Victoria shook her head in disagreement. 

"No Tally; 4 years ago the political climate was different and Congress was filled with hippies and liberals. More than that, the non profits, omega rights groups, and those damned omega rallies practically bullied the government into passing legislation that destroyed the foundation of this country. Now you have these creatures working alongside alphas and betas, using their biology to get ahead and obtain jobs that they are incapable of doing. Just last month, C & A construction declared bankruptcy after their CFO, an omega, failed to do his job. Not only that, but the sweeping legislation regarding sexual and reproductive rights is causing a situation that is untenable. To allow these creatures to cry 'rape' after every heat incident has inflated the jail population by 31% in the last 3 years alone! And let's not even begin discussing the 'omega care' hospitals. All those omega's receiving birth control and heat surpressants without any supervision? Absurd!" 

Talia listened to her friend's impassioned speech and recalled the events of the last 24 hours. 

"You're right Tory. It's time for things to change."

 

TBC......


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek has a much needed drink and Stiles takes a trip with Peter....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't sleep at all so I wrote Chapter 14....yay? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy the stupidly early update. 
> 
> Also just fyi, this chapter contains mention of a rape so please be warned if this may be a trigger for you. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine...because I've had no sleep...help!
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Stiles hugged his knees to his chest and stared at the innocent looking white card atop the bed sheet. He'd been staring at the card for two hours now and was still uncertain about what to do. Peter Hale had accused him of choosing to wallow in misery, and the the glimmer of truth contained in that statement, ate at him. 

Eight years. It had been long eight years of struggling and fighting and clawing his way through the world to survive. And he was tired of it all. His life had been one shit storm after the next and, yes, over the last few months he'd gotten to a point where he'd begun to wonder, 'why me? Please, anyone else but fucking me'. Didn't he have a right to wallow a little bit? Wasn't he allowed to feel sad about his shitty life? 

Stiles dropped his head back onto the headboard as he remembered his father's bright blue eyes. His omega father, who had chosen to give up, to...wallow in misery...after his mate left him. Was that his future? Would he be found in a crumpled heap, in some filthy corner after swallowing a handful of pills and ending it all? Fuck! Stiles sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. 

He picked up the card and sent a message to the number engraved on heavy, expensive card. Peter had been right; he had been wallowing in misery and it was time to stop. 

 

***********************

Derek sipped at his beer and absently watched the game on the tv. The bartender wiped down the bar and asked if he wanted anything else. Derek asked for another beer as he finished the bottle in his hand, and tried to forget the scent that clung to his clothes. 

His phone lit up on the bar and he looked over to see another message from Kate. Swiping to unlock it, he read the irate message and switched his phone off. All he wanted to do was drink his body weight in alcohol, and forget the last 8 hours of his life. But try as he might, he couldn't get the image of Stiles golden eyes out of his mind. 

The bartender sat another bottle in front of him and moved on to another customer. As he moved his arm to reach for the bottle, the scent of the omega wafted from his shirt and he inhaled deeply. Shit! What was wrong with him? He'd almost kicked the omega's ass today and now all he could think about was how it felt to have Stiles groaning beneath him. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! 

"Excuse me?" Derek turned his head to the right to see a guy in a tight blue tshirt smiling at him.

"Uh, yeah?" 

"Hi, I'm Jake...I was wondering, could I buy you a drink?" The last part was blurted out in a rush as Jake smiled at him nervously. Derek glanced pointedly at the full bottle of beer in front of him, and Jake scratched the back of his head and flushed a pale pink.

Derek leaned back in his chair and looked at the flustered beta appraisingly. He looked to be in his early twenties, with a lean but muscular built and a shock of dark brown hair. It was his eyes though, that made the breath catch in Derek's throat. A caramel brown that glowed almost....golden, beneath the lights of the bar. Jake bit his lip and began to walk away as the silence became awkward. Derek called his name and smiled, before pushing his bottle of beer away and gesturing to the seat beside him. 

Later that night, when Jake was naked and writhing on the hotel bed below him, he pressed his forehead to the groaning man's beneath him, and whispered "open your eyes...I want to see your eyes...."

 

**********************

 

Ring. Ring. Ring. 

Stiles groaned and rolled over, pulling the sheet above his head, trying to block out the sound of the phone. 

Ring. Ring. Ring. 

"Fuck! Ok, ok!" Stiles flung the sheet off his body and grabbed the phone from the bedside table. He answered the call without even checking the number and barked out "what?!" before hearing Cam's laugh on the other end of the line. 

"Aww, did I wake you up, sleeping beauty?" 

Stiles rubbed the sleep from his eyes and checked the time. Oh shit! 10:30! He was supposed to help Ada with the laundry at nine, how the hell had he slept through his alarm? That thing could wake the dead. 

"I see someone's feeling better" he grumbled before wincing as he realised what he'd just said. "Shit! Cam, I'm sorry, I didn't me-" 

"Shut it Stilinski..." Cam interrupted "...I'm fine. Uncle Peter talked to me last night and...I feel good. I'm fine, so don't worry." 

Stiles made a strange 'ppsshh' sound and said "worried? Who's worried loser? I was just -" Cam cut him off with "yeah, yeah" before pausing. 

"Although....." he tensed as Cam hesitated "....someone, not naming any names, slept in and didn't make me the chocolate peanut butter pancakes he promised to make, so y'know...it's not all good news." Cam laughed so hard he snorted. Stiles rolled his eyes and sighed in exasperation. 

"Little omega's got jokes huh? Well...maybe I'll tell Ada where the chocolate cookies disappeared to last week....yeah, it's all coming back to me." The silence on the other end of the line made him smile smugly. 

"Whatever, Uncle Peter said he's waiting for you, so hurry up, he says you have 15 minutes." Cam unceremoniously ended the call and Stiles scrambled to get ready. 

Ten minutes later he burst through Mr. Hale's front door and followed the sounds of laughter coming from the back of the house. When he finally reached the kitchen, face flushed and shirt buttons half undone, he was met with the surprised faces of Ada, Mr. Hale, and Peter. Cam smirked at him from where he stood beside Peter, and bit down on a large chocolate croissant. 

"There was no need to rush Stiles, our meeting isn't for another hour" said Peter as Cam choked on the huge piece of chocolate pastry in his mouth. Stiles glared at Cam and accepted Ada's offer of coffee before taking a seat. 

Cam placed a chocolate croissant in front of him and Stiles gritted his teeth before whispering "I'll get you for this Hale." Cam arched a dark brow and mocked "oohh, I'm so scared." He rolled his eyes. 

An hour later, Peter's little sports car pulled up in front of a large double story building with a sign declaring it to be the 'Omega Health and Wellness Centre'. Peter exited the car and gestured for Stiles to follow him. They were buzzed in and Peter escorted him to a bright, airy room painted a pale blue in which a dark haired woman in doctor's scrubs was quietly reading a file at the far end of the room. The woman looked up and smiled when Peter called her name and Stiles nodded in greeting. 

"Stiles, this is Melissa McCall, she's the chief of staff here at the Omega Centre. Melissa, this is the omega I mentioned; Stiles Stilinski." Doctor McCall smiled at him and began to ask him...something, before being interrupted by her pager. 

"Oh god, it's Diana, she's having another episode. I'm sorry guys, but I'm going to have to go. Nice to meet you Stiles." With that Doctor McCall rushed out of the room. 

Peter looked at him thoughtfully for a moment and told Stiles to follow him. He led them down a maze of corridors until they reached a room with the name D. Burke on the door. Through the window to the room, he could see Doctor McCall and a male nurse trying to calm a screaming woman, who was clutching a doll in one hand and a plastic butter knife in the other. 

"Stay back! He's mine! Don't come near me! STAY BACK! " Stiles watched in horror as the woman screamed and shouted, while stabbing at the nurse and Doctor McCall with the plastic butter knife. Fifteen minutes later, the screaming omega abruptly calmed, and cradled the doll close to her chest as she softly sang 'you are my sunshine'. When Doctor McCall finally sedated the woman, Peter touched his shoulder, led him to a small break room around the corner and closed the door behind them. Stiles trembled as the soft, broken voice of the omega singing 'you are my sunshine' rang in his ears. 

"What happened to her?" he rasped while trying to still his shaking hands. Peter handed him a warm cup of coffee and sat down beside him. 

"That woman's name is Diana Burke. She's a 26 year old omega who, 3 years ago was raped by multiple alphas during her heat. I say rape, in Court, the alpha's claimed that she consented and begged them to help her. They weren't charged of course, after all, all they did was help an omega in heat right? And really, Diana shouldn't have been at work so close to her heat...or so the Judge stated in his ruling after the men were found not guilty. After the trial, Diana found out she was pregnant and....unbelievably...she fell in love with the baby during the pregnancy." Peter sighed and shook his head before continuing. 

"When one of the alpha's that took part in the attack found out that she'd given birth, he demanded a DNA test. The test showed that he was the father and 2 days later, he went to Court and not only obtained full custody of the baby but also managed to terminate Diana's parental rights. He claimed that Diana was an unfit parent and that her 'promiscuous lifestyle' would have a detrimental effect on the child. The sick bastard cited Diana's rape during her heat as an example of her 'promiscuous lifestyle'. The Judge agreed and Diana's baby was taken from her the next day. He was 2 weeks old. The trauma of the rape combined with the loss of her child...it left her...broken, damaged. She's been with us ever since." 

Stiles stared at Peter in shock and disbelief. He understood now why Peter had told him he didn't understand the true depths of an omega's suffering. What Peter had just told him was....barbaric. He remembered his father's desperate pleas for his mother, and those cries overlapped with Diana's screams, to combine in a cacophony of pain and grief that rang in his ears. So much pain, so much suffering....Stiles shook his head to try to stop the imaginary cries and turned to Peter, who watched him intently. 

"What can I do?"

Peter nodded at him and clapped him on the shoulder. 

 

TBC.........


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek and Cam talk.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, Chapter 15 for your reading pleasure; please enjoy. 
> 
> Thank you so much for all your comments and kudos!
> 
> Ad always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Derek shrugged into his jacket and took one last look at the sleeping beta on the bed, before quietly exiting the hotel room. He pulled out his phone, switched it on, and sighed as he saw all the missed calls and messages from Kate. The last message had been sent an hour ago and simply read 'screw you'. Just fucking great, he thought as he pressed the button for the elevator. 

A moment later, the doors to the elevator opened to reveal two men in business suits and a uniformed hotel maid already inside. He stepped into the elevator absently and scrolled through the rest of Kate's messages, ignoring the snickering of the two men. 

As the elevator slowly descended, the maid beside him jumped and knocked into him, dropping the towels she held in her hands. 

"Oh god...I'm so sorry Sir, excuse me" the maid apologised before crouching down and picking up the towels from the floor. Derek frowned as the two men behind him laughed and whispered to one another. The maid stood up with the the towels in hand and stared at the ground, avoiding the gaze of the three men. He heard his phone buzz and turned back to the screen to see a message from Cam. As he swiped to open the message, he heard the maid make a strange choking sound and turned to see her shaking and her face pale, as she tried to inch closer to the door. 

He watched her press the towels to her chest tightly and furrowed his brow in confusion. What the hell was wrong with the omega? The man behind him bumped into him and he looked back with a scowl on his face, ready to tell the guy to watch himself. As he glanced back, the man standing behind the maid moved and Derek froze as he saw what was happening. The suited, grey haired man standing directly behind the maid was smiling as his hand moved beneath her dress. Derek watched as the second alpha, a pudgy man in his forties with a balding head, scooted forward and placed a hand on the back of the omega's neck, twirling the hair that had fallen loose from her bun. He'd seen alpha's being aggressive before in their pursuit of omega's but this? The men didn't even give a shit that he was there, choosing to simply ignore him as they groped the omega. 

The omega trembled and Derek remembered Cam's watery blue eyes as he told him about the 'bad men', and felt rage consume him as the grey haired Alpha moaned. His phone fell from his hands as he spun and pushed the balding alpha behind him into the wall. The pudgy man cried out as his back hit the wall of the elevator, and Derek moved past him to yank the grey haired alpha's hand from beneath the maid's dress.

He grabbed the man's collar and knocked him into the wall a few times before throwing him to the ground with a snarl. Derek's chest heaved as he stared at the two groaning alpha's on the carpeted floor of the elevator. A ding sounded behind him and he turned to see the elevator doors opening to a crowd of people who paused in their chatter, and gaped at the scene before them. The maid glanced at the alpha's on the ground before turning her tear stained face to Derek, and running out of the elevator. 

"What the hell is goi- Mr. Hale?" 

A handsome older man in a dark suit bearing the hotel insignia had pushed past the gawking crowd and stood holding the elevator doors open. Derek picked up his phone from the floor and strode out of the elevator as the two alpha's shakily stood to their feet. The uniformed man followed him and apologised over and over again for any inconvenience as he stormed toward the hotel entrance. His grandfather knew the owner of this particular chain of hotels very well and so his family frequented the hotel every time they needed a place to stay in the city, which was why the man was so anxious to placate him. 

Derek gritted his teeth as the man apologised for a fifth time, stopped at the entrance of the hotel and turned to face him. 

"Stop. I suggest you pull the CCTV footage from the elevator and call the police. Those two men just assaulted one of your staff." The man raised his eyebrows before nodding and rushing away. Derek asked the valet to bring his car around and palmed his face. What the fuck was wrong with some people, he asked himself, as he started his car and drove in the direction of his grandfather's estate.

 

***********************

 

Benjamin Moreno watched the police officers question the two suited alpha's with disinterest and shook his head in disgust. When Derek Hale had told him to call the police, he'd known then that this would the outcome, but he'd called them anyway. After all, Derek Hale's family was close with the owner, and it wouldn't do to ignore a direct instruction from him. 

He turned and walked into the break room to find Alice holding a cup of coffee and staring blankly at the wall. Alice had only started working at the hotel 2 weeks ago, a job she'd explained she'd taken to put herself through school. He sighed as he saw the state of the usually bubbly girl, and sat beside her. 

"Hey, Alice? How are you doing?" 

The girl turned toward him and blinked before smiling shakily.

"I'm...I'm ok Ben. It could've been a lot worse if that other alpha hadn't stepped in. I guess I should be thankful, right?" she asked as a tear fell from her eyes and rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away quickly and shook her head. 

"Sorry, God, I don't know why I'm so upset, it's not like it's the first time I've been groped by a gross alpha or two. Anyway, look at the time, I should really go and finish my rounds, sorry about this Ben..." she babbled until he silenced her and pulled her into his arms. The girl collapsed against him and he stroked her hair comfortingly as he thought of his 2 year old omega son at home. 

A sharp knock interrupted them and he looked up to see the two police officers standing at the door smirking at them. 

"Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting anything..." the taller cop said with a suggestively raised eyebrow "...but we need to speak with Ms. Sutton." Alice pulled away and clutched his hand tightly. 

"Can you stay Ben?" Benjamin glanced back at the two amused officers and nodded. The officers stepped into the room and sat across from them, and this time it was the shorter one that spoke. 

"So Ms. Sutton, where exactly did the alpha touch you?" 

Ben took a deep breath and tightened his hold on Alice's trembling hand. It was going to be a long day.

 

*********************

 

Derek pushed open the door as the sounds of screaming and gunshots could be heard over Cam's yells of "ha, got you, you little shit!". 

The home theatre was a recent addition to his grandfather's home, and one that had been added after months of begging and pleading from Cam. Derek stepped into the darkened room to see the undead being shot to smithereens on the large screen. His little brother sat on one of the large cushioned seats with a controller in his hand and a headset wrapped around his head. The dark room was suddenly lit by an orange glow as Cam pressed a button, and a grenade was hurled at a group of zombies. 

"Don't mess with the Caminator" his brother yelled in a deep voice and a weird hybrid accent. Derek rolled his eyes and flicked the light switch. The room flooded with light and Cam hissed and covered his eyes like a vampire. 

"Oh my god Derek, my eyes!" 

"Does Grandpa know you use this room to play violent, age inappropriate games?" he asked as he sat beside Cam. Cam removed the headset and turned to him with wide innocent eyes. 

"Derek, I'm hurt that you'd think that I'd go behind anyone's back. Honestly -" Derek clapped a hand to the kids mouth and shook his head fondly. 

"Ok, ok. I got your message, what did you want to talk about?" he asked as he removed his hand. Cam sat the controller on the ground and turned to face him, suddenly ridiculously serious for an 11 year old. 

"Uhm...Uncle Peter told me you went to speak to Stiles yesterday?" Derek winced and wondered how much the kid knew about what had happened between him and the omega. 

"Yeah...what did Peter tell you?" 

Cam shrugged and said "not a lot, just that you were annoyed that Stiles took me to the arcade and wanted to...I don't know, scream at him?" Derek sighed in relief and nodded. He could just imagine how Cam would've reacted if he knew exactly how 'annoyed' he'd been, and was thankful that both Stiles and Peter had been discreet. 

"Listen..." Cam crossed his legs on the cushioned seat and played with a loose thread on the arm of the chair "...I don't want you to be mad at Stiles, I'm the one who begged him to take me there. He took good care of me Derek, he even sprayed that weird guy in the face with soda, it was so cool! He's cool and he's my friend...and I want you to like him 'cuz...y'know...you're my brother and he's my friend. Stiles is the only omega friend I have that's around my age....so he gets a lot of stuff about me...I just...I need you both to get on, ok? Please?" 

Derek watched his little brother fidget awkwardly on the chair and felt like complete crap for making the kid feel this way. He picked up the controller and smiled at Cam. 

"Of course kid, anything you want, I'll even apologise to Stiles about...being so rude to him, ok? Now, you wanna kill some zombies?" he asked as Cam smiled back at him and reached for the spare controller. 

As they slowly made their way through a crumbling city while dodging the sneaky undead, Derek decided he'd find the omega and apologise for yesterday. His brother needed another omega around, and if Stiles could be that support for him, then Derek would make sure he stuck around. 

 

************************

"How was your meeting last night?"

Victoria waited until the waiter poured her a glass of wine and walked away, before answering her daughter. 

"It went well, Talia agreed to help run the campaign. We only have 8 months until the election so we need to start work as soon as possible." 

Kate nodded and they moved on to more urgent matters. 

"I spoke with Senator Hyland this morning, he says he has 27 other Senators ready and waiting to sponsor the new bill" said Kate as she speared her asparagus. Victoria frowned and recalled the conversation she'd had with Christopher Hyland a few weeks ago. 

"27? What happened to the remaining 13?" she asked. Kate set down her fork and dabbed at her mouth.

"Apparently some of the others got cold feet, but the Senator said that he was still in talks with them. Many of them have received large donations from omega friendly businesses in the past, so they're hesitant about committing." 

Victoria curled her lip in disgust. This was exactly why the country was in ruins; weak politicians who were unwilling to stand up and do the right thing, and spent most of their time kowtowing to donars and omega rights groups. It had been fashionable to be pro-omega and the country had suffered because of it, but times were changing and Victoria was determined to be at the helm of that change. 

"Get me a list of all 13 Senators, I'll call them myself" she said before calling her husband. Time to be proactive instead of just reactive. 

 

TBC.........


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter meets someone unexpected and Stiles finds some peace at the Centre....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, another day, another chapter. I hope you enjoy this update and thank you so much for all your kudos and comments - it's so great to see so many of you liking this little world. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Peter smiled as he watched Stiles talking to the group of young omega's. 

"He seems to be a natural with children. You should have seen how quickly Cam took to him" he said to the brunette standing beside him. Melissa nodded and laughed. Peter arched a brow questioningly at the good Doctor, who clapped a hand to his shoulder fondly before speaking. 

"Oh Peter, look at you, you're practically glowing with pride. This kid must be something special to get you like this."

He heard the curiosity beneath the teasing tone, and glanced back at Stiles. The boy was reading the children the story of Little Red Riding Hood and growling as he said "all the better to eat you with!". The children crowded around him screamed when Stiles suddenly leapt up and chased them around the room, growling and snarling. 

"I guess he must be" he said vaguely, before checking his phone. He cursed when he realised the time and beckoned the boy over. Stiles dropped the shrieking 5 year old in his arms and ran over, puffing from exertion. Peter frowned; the boy was winded after running around with a gaggle of 5 year olds for twenty minutes, that couldn't be healthy. His gaze swept the boy's skinny frame and he reminded himself to talk to the kid about his diet. 

"Sorry Stiles, but I have a meeting to get to, so we're going to have to leave. I'll drop you off at the estate first." 

Stiles smile dimmed, but he nodded and wiped the sweat from his brow. 

"I'll drive him home if he wants to stay" said Melissa as a young girl ran up behind Stiles and tried to drag him back to play. 

"Stiles?" 

The boy looked to Melissa, then glanced back at the pouting omega clutching his leg and nodded. 

"Uh, yeah...I'll stay...if Doctor McCall doesn't mind." Peter turned to Melissa, who told him to go, and promised to drop Stiles back at the estate. He kissed her on the cheek in thanks, and waved goodbye to Stiles before rushing out of the Centre. 

Thirty five minutes later, and with five minutes to spare, he arrived at the high end, expensive restaurant and tossed the valet his keys. A stunning statuesque blonde in a tight green dress showed him to his table, and he ordered a bottle of red wine as he waited for the head of the Farmers Association to arrive. As he scrolled through his phone, he heard two waiters behind him griping about the 'rubbish tip' they'd received at the last table. 

"Seriously, the older one was such a typical alpha bitch! She kept giving me these weird looks every time I poured the wine. Snooty bitch!" 

Peter smiled to himself and sipped his water. He had no idea why some alpha's insisted on treating people like garbage; the orientations were no better or worse than one another, simply different. He frowned when the two voices behind him suddenly stopped their gossiping, and froze as he heard a familiar voice rebuke them harshly. 

"That's my wife and daughter you're talking about. I suggest you keep your mouth shut, before I shut it for you. Understood?" 

The two waiters apologised profusely, and Peter heard then scurry away into the back. He felt his heart racing and tried to focus on his breathing. In, out, in, out. He kept his eyes fixed on his phone and sipped some more of the chilled water. Heavy footsteps walked his way and he prayed for them to continue past his table; he really was in no mood for this today. It had been a good morning and he had hoped to continue the day in the same vain. Unfortunately, but not surprisingly, the footsteps halted by his table and he took a deep breath and looked up into the palest blue eyes he'd ever seen. After all these years, those eyes still made the breath catch in his throat and he cursed his ridiculous body. Peter slipped on the mask that he'd been cultivating for over two decades and smiled at the man. 

Chris Argent stared down at him in shock and Peter hated himself for noticing how good the man looked. His tall, lean frame was wrapped in a bespoke black pinstripe suit with a crisp white shirt lying beneath it, a thick silver Patek Philippe watch adorned his wrist, and the lines in his tanned face only made him look distinguished and handsome, as opposed to haggard and old. Which is what he had been hoping for, dammit all to hell!

"Peter?...." Chris whispered as Peter set his phone on the table, pushed his chair back and stood up. He extended a hand in greeting and plastered a cocky, confident smile on his face. 

"Mr. Argent, good to see you...it's been a long time." 

Chris flinched when he called him 'Mr. Argent', and Peter's fake smile became a little more real. Chris stared at his outstretched hand silently for a moment, before slowly curling his fingers around Peter's hand. The skin was riddled with callouses and the grip was much stronger than he remembered, but the shock of electricity that sparked through his body as they touched...that was still the same. 

"You look good Pete" said Chris in a low voice as he took a step closer. Peter yanked his hand out of Chris' tight grip and stepped back. The familiarity in his tone and the scent of his body made Peter angry, and he smirked at the man before sitting down and picking up his phone. He saw Chris move toward him and readied himself to tell the man to politely 'fuck off', before a shadow fell across the table. He looked up to see a tall, stocky man with auburn hair and a ruddy complextion. The man looked between the two men in confusion, and Peter quickly stood up and introduced himself. 

The man's gaze raked over his body as they shook hands and he introduced himself. 

"Mike Goran, Farmers Association. Nice to meet you Peter...I guess the rumors are true..." Peter arched a brow quizzically "...you are in fact, a very attractive man." 

Peter smiled politely as he mentally groaned. He fought to choke back the expletive on the tip of his tongue and gestured for the man to sit. The life of an omega was filled with such ridiculous anecdotes, so he ignored the interested gaze of the redhead sat across from him, and opened the bottle of wine. Mike looked up at Chris standing beside him and raised his eyebrows. 

"Sorry, did I interrupt somethi-"

Peter shook his head and said "no, Mr. Argent was just leaving." He ignored the blue eyed alpha standing half a foot away, and poured Mike a glass of wine. A moment of awkwardness later, Chris walked away and Peter sighed in relief before turning back to Mike. 

"So, Mike, let's talk dairy..." 

 

************************

 

Chris Argent strode out of the restaurant and felt his body heat with rage. He heard the sound of the redneck redhead's laughter behind him and clenched his fists, fighting every part of him that wanted to turn around and knock out the man's teeth for looking at his ome- at Peter like that. 

As he slid into the car, his phone rang and the screen displayed his father's number. Chris threw the phone in the back and pressed his foot to the gas. Fuck his father. And fuck Peter Hale. 

 

*********************

 

"Thank you for today, the kids really seem to love you." 

Stiles shrugged as Melissa pulled up in front of the house and turned to face him. 

"I like kids, they're easy...they don't have secret agendas or hidden motives to get close to you" he said uncomfortably. Melissa studied him closely and the silence in the car grew heavy. 

"I have a son your age you know, he's a beta but he loves helping out at the Centre. I'll introduce you next time you're at the Centre." 

Stiles froze and felt a jolt of fear run through him. He desperately looked at his little cottage in the distance, and moved to open the car door. When he pulled the door handle nothing happened and he felt the fear clawing at his throat.

"Let me out...please...open the door...OPEN THE DAMN DOOR!" 

The click of the door lock boomed in the silence following his outburst, and Stiles scrambled to get out of the car. Melissa exited the driver side door and watched him gasping for breath with wide eyes. He turned his back to her and focused on the cottage, and finally, after God knows how long, his breathing returned to normal. 

"Is that what today was about? Some bullshit game to lure me into a false sense of security before you toss me to your kid...like some fucking birthday present?" he croaked, injecting as much loathing as he could into his broken voice. Melissa stepped up in front of him but kept her distance and didn't touch him. 

"NO! Stiles, of course not! I'm sorry, I didn't think about how it would sound to you. I just meant that I believe it would be good for you to meet a person with an orientation other than your own...someone who can show you that not all betas or alphas are like the ones you've been unfortunate enough to meet in your life...Scott's a good kid, he would never do anything to hurt an omega. I'm sorry Stiles, really, I didn't mean...that." 

Stiles finally looked up to see a flustered Melissa wringing her hands. He sighed and rubbed his eyes. He focused on the cottage beyond the beta's shoulder and shook his head. 

"I...I'm sorry Doctor McCall, I'm just..." he exhaled deeply "...I'm not sure about that...yet. Sorry about..." he gestured to his everything and chuckled darkly. Melissa cautiously stepped forward and gently laid a hand on his shoulder. 

"It's ok Stiles, we'll work at your pace, ok? I have to go...but...are you ok?" she asked with concern in her voice and her eyes. He nodded and smiled, before apologising again and walking Melissa to her car. She touched him on the shoulder lightly and told him she'd see him soon, before driving away. As he watched the car disappear around the bend in the drive, he heard someone shout his name and turned to see Cam waving at him from a window on the second story. Cam screamed at him to 'get in the house loser, I have pizza' and Stiles smiled as he walked to the front door of the house. 

As he raised his hand to knock, the door swung open, and Stiles froze for the second time that afternoon as he saw who stood in the doorway. Derek Hale stared at him from the foyer of the house with one hand holding the door open. The alpha looked casual and disturbingly comfortable in a pair of dark jeans and a moss coloured henley, and Stiles seriously considered turning around and leaving. The familiar instinct to run irritated him and he stubbornly stood his ground and met the alpha's gaze head on. The seconds ticked by in silence as Derek continued to stare at him and he quickly grew impatient. Rolling his eyes, he walked through the doorway and brushed past the alpha to walk up the stairs. 

As he unbuttoned his jacket and stepped up onto the first step, a strong hand circled his bicep and yanked him up against the wall by the staircase. He cried out as his back hit the wall, more in shock than in pain, and Derek caged him against the wall and leaned in. Stiles stared at the alpha with wide eyes as one thought ran through his head. 

What the fuck was this asshole going to do now?

 

TBC.......


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles is pissed and Victoria has an interesting meeting....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy! Fyi, this chapter lightly touches on reproductive rights so please be warned. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

His heart thundered in his chest and his breathing became ragged as he closed the space between their two bodies, inch by inch. Only a sliver of space remained between them, when he stopped and watched the golden eyes widen and the pink lips part lightly. He tilted his head, running his eyes across the luminous skin speckled with small, chocolate moles, and felt his mouth go dry. 

The sounds of gunshots and screams floated down the staircase, but all he could hear was the inhale and exhale of the boy pressed against him. A sweet, sugary fragrance emanated from the omega's body, and he felt his blood heat and his insides ache as the boy wet his lips. The wide golden eyes flashed dangerously, and a small puff of breath escaped his mouth as he struggled not to press forward and fall into the body in front of him. 

Ring. Ring. Ring

The shrill sound of his phone shattered the silence, and Derek blinked as though waking from a dream. He saw Stiles caged against the wall inside the circle of his arms, silent and motionless, and an image of the trembling maid from the elevator flashed before his eyes. Horrified, he wrenched himself away from the boy, and tried to calm his racing heart. What was wrong with him? What the fuck was wrong with him? 

He scrubbed a trembling hand across his face and hair, as his phone finally stopped ringing. He could hear rustling behind him, but was too shaken to turn around and face Stiles. This wasn't who he was; he had never been the kind of alpha who took what he wanted without care, had never been the kind of man to force himself on the unwilling. Truth be told, ever since he'd turned 14 and...for lack of a better word, blossomed, he'd barely had to do anything to attract the attentions of those he wanted. They tended to simply...fall into his lap. So this...this churning, aching, clawing, need that snaked through his body insidiously, was unfamiliar and confusing.

"I'm...I'm sorry. I don't know why-I'm sorry" he said with his back still turned to Stiles. 

He heard Cam yelling upstairs, and paled as the reality of what had almost happened...what he'd almost done...hit him afresh. Stiles remained silent behind him and Derek frowned. Just as he moved to face the boy, a large, bony hand circled his bicep and spun him around. The omega stood before him with a furious expression and eyes blazing the colour of molten lava. 

Stiles released his arm and stepped closer. Derek inched back further and further as the omega moved forward, until the wooden newel cap dug into his back. The omega was the one to close the distance this time, and a frisson of uncertainty ran through him. The boy was a head shorter than him and weighed maybe 120 lbs to his 200, but the fury radiating off the boy made him freeze. 

 

**********************

 

Stiles felt the stress of the last few days ignite his rage as he leaned into the alpha and curled his lip in disgust.  
"Sorry? Sorry?! You push me around, fault me for things out of my control, and leave no opportunity to press up against me and get your rocks off... and you're sorry?" he asked, his tone as acidic as it was incredulous. He leaned in as close as possible, tilting his head back a little, before fixing on the alpha's green eyes. 

"You can take your apology and shove it up your ass, Alpha. Come near me again..." he grabbed Derek's crotch and squeezed tightly "...and I'll rip this off. Do you understand?" 

Derek winced in pain but nodded his understanding. Stiles removed his vice like grip on the alpha and stepped back a few feet just as Cam appeared at the top of the staircase. 

"What's the hold up Stili- uh...is everything ok?" asked Cam as he glanced between the two of them glaring at one another in silence. Stiles fixed a smile on his face and looked up at kid. 

"Yeah Sweets, everything's cool. Derek just wanted to apologise. Isn't that right Derek?" he said in a light voice before turning back to the alpha, who's eyes darkened even as he clenched his jaw, and nodded. 

"Oh, ok, so....everyone's cool?" asked Cam suspiciously, as he slowly descended the stairs. Stiles removed his jacket and clapped the alpha on the back. He felt Derek tense at his touch and his smile widened. 

"Everything's fine Cam, relax. Me and Derek understand each other now."

The kid beamed and gestured for the two of them to follow him up the stairs. Stiles jogged up the steps and ignored the prickling feeling of being watched; Derek the dick wasn't worth the hassle. 

 

***********************

 

"This is impressive Victoria. Do you think you can get it to the floor?" 

Victoria crossed her legs and folded her hands in her lap. Richard Carson followed her movements with a heated gaze and a lascivious smile. 

The Conservative Council of America, or CCA, had been founded in the late 1990's when the rallies calling for omega rights began to garner actual support in congress. Though the founding of the group was reactionary and rushed, its goals had always been clearly defined; to preserve the traditional structure of American society. Alpha, Beta, and Omega. 

The belief was that Alpha's, with their keen intellect and dominant personalities, were natural born leaders and, as such, were genetically predisposed to serve as rulers of the land. Beneath them were the Betas, who were born to follow and serve as the primary workforce of the country. Then came the Omegas. Men and women whose primary function was to satiate sexual need and serve the desires of the alphas and betas above them. Up until the early 1990s, most omegas either mated and started families, or became sex workers. The CCA worked tirelessly to maintain this order, and advocated that the only place for an omega was in the home, while deftly dodging the issue of sex work. 

As the voices of the liberals got louder, the CCA quietly established a firm base with the traditionalists, and began raising money so fast that the accountants could barely keep up. Over the last 10 years, they had successfully lobbied Congress into reaffirming countless laws that limited the rights of omegas. The Omega Act that had successfully passed through both houses 4 years ago, had come as a major blow, and in reaction, the CCA had appointed Richard Carson as the President of the Council. 

Richard Carson was a 62 year old retired lawyer who had vocally and vociferously opposed the changes to the law. He'd spent 37 years practising family law and had successfully set a number of legal precedents that furthered his beliefs. He was a short man, standing at only 5 ft 9, but his powerful build and sharp mind screamed Alpha. 

Victoria lightly touched her throat and smiled back at the alpha. "I believe so; I have 27 firmly on board so far, but the other 13 are wavering. I was hoping you could help...persuade them." 

Richard leaned back in his chair with an amused expression. 

"How much?" he asked, and Victoria could almost taste the victory on her tongue. She narrowed her eyes and told him the figure. To his credit, the man didn't even flinch, merely nodded and looked over the proposed bill again. 

"That's a lot of money. Can you guarantee this will pass?"

She smoothed her skirt and looked directly at the man. 

"Donate a sizable contribution to those Senator's reelection funds, and yes, I guarantee I'll get it passed." Richard flipped to the last page of the bill and tapped his thick finger to the page. 

"Fine, but I want this language amended." He marked the relevant section with his pen and handed her the papers. She read through the section pertaining to reproductive rights, and looked up questioningly. 

"What do you want changed?" 

Richard twirled the pen in his hand while he spoke. "You mention restricting the right to terminate a pregnancy. I want the language changed, so that any omega wanting a termination can only do so with the express authority of the Alpha and a presiding Judge. In all cases. No matter the dispute regrading heat and conception." 

Victoria looked back at the bill and considered the impact of such a change. It would be a hit with the hardliners, but she could foresee objections from the left, and weighed her options. With the 13 Senators on board, she'd atleast get the bill to the floor, and after that she'd cross the liberal bridge when she arrived at it. She met the assessing gaze of the Alpha sat across from her, and nodded in acquiescence. 

"Fine. I'll work on it and send you a copy at the end of the week." They shook hands and she stood up and walked out. The grande building which housed the CCA wasn't far from her office, so she directed the driver to take her there, before messaging Talia. They had a lot of work to do. 

 

***********************

 

Derek slammed the door behind him as Kate walked out of her bedroom wearing a pissed off expression and not much else. 

"And where the fuck were you last night?" she spat at him as he ripped off his jacket and strode towards her. He'd spent the last 4 hours cooped up in a room with Cam and Stiles, watching the two omega's laugh and joke with one another, as he tried and failed to erase the memory of Stiles touching him from his mind. The pissed off, barely clothed woman in front of him would serve as the perfect distraction, he thought to himself. 

He pulled off his henley and unbuttoned his jeans before kicking off his shoes. He saw Kate's hungry gaze traverse his torso before she smirked and walked backwards into the bedroom. As he threw her onto the bed and pressed down, the sugary sweet scent of a pale skinned omega haunted him. 

 

***********************

 

Peter politely refused the offer of a 'drink' with the burly redhead; Mike Goran, and quickly paid the bill, before exiting the restaurant. He handed his ticket to the valet and asked for his car to be brought up. 

The kid at the valet station paused as he saw his ticket number and Peter furrowed his brow in annoyance. The business lunch had gone on far longer than he'd anticipated, not least because of having to repeatedly rebuff the advances of the persistent alpha he'd lunched with. All he wanted was to go home and have a drink, a large drink. 

"Is there a problem?" he asked. 

The kid hesitated for a moment, before nodding. "Uh, yes Sir. Sorry, but I believe there was a problem with your car. The manager is waiting to speak to you in the main office." 

Peter gritted his teeth and reigned in his anger. "What exactly is the problem?" 

The kid shrugged and once again directed him to the manager's office. He huffed angrily and walked back through the restaurant to the manager's office at the back. The door stood open and he stepped inside, looking around the empty room in confusion. Was he supposed to wait here? Aargh! So much for his good day, he thought, as he sat down and tapped his fingers on the desk impatiently. 

He heard a creaking sound behind him before the door slammed shut, and the lock was clicked into place. Peter stood up and turned around, ready to tear someone a new one. His jaw dropped and his heart pounded loudly as he saw the man leaning against the door. 

"You know how much I hated it when you ignored me Peter" said Chris in a low voice, as he pushed off the door and stepped forward. 

 

TBC........


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter and Chris have words....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy this chapter. Thank you so much for all your kudos and kind comments, they keep me writing, so... thank you!
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Peter rolled his eyes and contorted his face into an expression that he hoped was apathetic, even as his heart raced. Chris stood at the back of the chair he'd just vacated and examined him from head to toe, before lightly touching his fingers to Peter's hand. His skin burned where Chris touched him, the heat seeping into layer after layer of his skin. He moved his hand away and shot the alpha an unimpressed look before pushing past him. As he brushed by the alpha's lean body, Chris hooked a hand into the crook of his elbow and pulled him close.

Peter calmly tried to pull his arm out of the alpha's grip, but Chris's grip simply tightened the more he struggled. He refused to give this man the satisfaction of showing him how much this stupid charade was affecting him, and took a deep, calming breath. Feeling his body relax somewhat, Peter looked at Chris with a faux confused expression and an arched brow. 

"I'm not quite sure what you plan to do with me behind a locked door, Mr. Argent, but I should tell you, I'm not really into role play...." he paused as though considering his statement and frowned "...then again, I'm not really into you either. So, if you don't mi-"

Chris yanked him forward and turned his body so that they were practically embracing. Peter struggled to get out of the man's hold, but the alpha merely held him even tighter. What the hell? He was no lightweight, but the strength in the hands tightly circling his biceps was ridiculous. What the fuck did the man bench press? Tanks? Chris leaned forward and angled his head, and Peter froze as he felt the alpha's hot breath across his mouth. 

"That isn't exactly true now, is it? It's been a long time Pete, but I can still recognise the heat in your scent when I'm close..." Peter trembled as Chris's hand released his bicep, and moved up his arm until his fingers rested against his neck "...your pulse is elevated..." the hand moved from his neck to his jaw, where it cupped his cheek and ran a thumb across his heated cheekbone "...and your body is on fire..." 

Chris's mouth trailed up his jaw to his ear, and Peter felt soft lips against his ear as the alpha whispered "I think you're into me Pete...really into me, in fact." 

Peter laid his hands against the arrogant alpha's chest and pushed with every ounce of his strength. Chris released his arm as he stumbled over the chairs and tried to steady himself. Peter ignored him, walked to the door, unlocked it, and straightened his suit jacket. He opened the door, but paused and turned back to the alpha one last time before walking away. 

"I'm really not Chris. What you felt today? The response you were able to wring from my body? It's just the ghost of my 17 year old self; that sad, delusional boy who loved you so deeply that he bought all of your bullshit. That boy is long gone, you and your wife watched him die many years ago. Pete's dead Chris. I'm Peter Hale, and this omega won't tremble at your touch. He'll kick your fucking ass."

Chris stared at him with something akin to devastation, but Peter didn't care. Not anymore. He walked away, and over his shoulder said "oh, and give your lovely wife my regards, Mr. Argent" before leaving the restaurant for the second time. 

 

************************

 

Chris crumpled into the chair as he watched Peter's retreating back, and placed a shaky hand over his mouth. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry as the omega's scent blanketed the room; it had been 20 years since he'd felt the warmth of the omega's body pressed against him, and the scent was both torturous and comforting. 

Chris scrubbed his face with his hand and dropped his head back to stare absently at the ceiling. Twenty years...god...how had time run away from him so quickly? He still remembered the first time he'd met Peter, still saw that shy smile in his mind's eye. Twenty one years had passed in the blink of an eye. 

 

•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•

21 years ago: Spring of 1990 - Stanford University. 

 

Chris grimaced as the scorching heat hit his back, and burned through the fabric of the thin tshirt he wore. He wiped the sweat from his brow as he neared the University's administration building and saw the huge crowd of people outside. What the fuck was going on? He walked into the crowd and looked up at one of the signs being hoisted in the air by two students in orange tshirts. Chris swept the crowd and realised almost everyone was wearing the same orange tshirt with the same black writing on it; SAOR. SAOR? What the hell did that mean?

He tapped one of the guys holding the sign and asked him what the rally was about. The dark skinned guy with close cropped hair looked at him in confusion, before gesturing to his shirt. Chris shrugged in response. 

"We're the activists from The Society for the Advancement of Omega Rights; S.A.O.R. Come on man, we've been protesting for 2 days, how can you not know about -" the guy turned back to the building and raised his voice "...the inhumane way this school treats omega's!" 

The crowd around him roared, and as one chanted 'OMEGA'S ARE MORE THAN A TROU! THEY ARE HUMAN TOO!' Chris looked at the heaving crowd of people and checked his watch. Dammit! Victoria was probably wondering where he was; they'd planned to collect their paperwork together and then grab lunch. He was already 10 minutes late and Victoria was not an an alpha you kept waiting. 

As he made his way through the crowd, he smelled a sweet scent in the air and stopped. The honey sweet scent got stronger and stronger until he could practically taste it on his tongue. A voice behind him chanted the crowd's mantra loudly in his ear, before a body knocked into him. Chris steadied his hands on the back of the person in front of him, and felt electricity spark through him. The guy wore a ubiquitous orange tshirt and grunted softly as Chris' full weight fell onto his back. 

The guy pushed back and quickly turned around. Their eyes met and all the cacophony of the rally faded away, as he took in the face before him; chesnut hair, blue eyes and an angular jaw. Fuck...he was beautiful. The guy blushed a soft shade of pink and smiled shyly as Chris breathlessly asked his name. The blue eyed boy hesitated a moment before finally opening his mouth. 

"Pete-" 

"Chris? Chris! Are you in here?"

Victoria's voice cut through the crowd and he turned to see the redhead pushing past the chanting students in disgust. She smiled as she spotted him in the crowd, and moved determinedly towards him. Chris glanced back to see 'Pete' had disappeared and groaned. Great! Where the hell had he gone, he thought, as he looked around frantically. A small hand wrapped around his forearm and Victoria dragged out of the crowd, to the entrance of the administration building as she cursed the 'hippies' blocking the path. 

"What were you doing with those degenerates Chris? You know, your father's already called the office three times looking for us?" 

His father? Oh shit! They were meant to have lunch with Gérard, how could he have forgotten? He checked his watch and saw that they were now ten minutes late in meeting him, and he hurried to the registrar's office with Victoria. He was already dreading the inevitable lecture; 'Alpha's should be on time Chris, the inability to fulfill your commitments makes you look weak Chris, be better Chris, it's not good enough Chris, why can't you be like Victoria, Chris, she's a strong alpha Chris, she'd be the perfect match Chris, are you listening to me Chris? '....aargh! 

As Victoria sorted through her paperwork, he looked out of the window at the passionate crowd below, and wondered where the beautiful boy had disappeared to. Pete. Hmmm...a cute name for a cute boy, he thought in amusement. 

 

•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•○•

Present time: 

 

"Excuse me, Mr. Argent?" 

Chris was pulled from the pleasant memory by the manager's deep voice. He looked up to see the man watching him uncertainly, and quickly stood up. The man stepped into the office and asked "are you done here?" 

Chris reached into his pocket for a $100 bill and stuffed it into the man's breast pocket, before striding out of the restaurant. He remembered Peter's flushed, shy face from that sunny afternoon so many years ago, and clenched his jaw. He was nowhere near done, not even fucking close.

 

***********************

 

Talia checked her make up, and gently dabbed at the corners of her mouth with a tissue. Her husband watched her get ready from the doorway and smiled at her reflection in the mirror. Talia smiled back before turning around, walking up to her gorgeous husband, and kissing him gently. 

David wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. Her husband was still as handsome today as the day she married him, with his tall, broad frame, thick, dark hair, and hazel eyes. When she'd first seen the handsome alpha at a party in college, she had sworn that he was the man she was going to marry, and Victoria had laughed before whistling loudly to get his attention. She still vividly remembered that first time he'd looked at her and smiled. The rest, as they say, was history. 

David pulled back and tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "What time will you be back?" 

Talia glanced at her watch and shrugged. "Late. Victoria wants to redraft parts of the bill and she wants it done by the end of the week." She pulled out of his embrace and picked up her purse from the vanity table, before checking her appearance once last time. 

David sat on the edge of the bed and sighed. "School starts next week, Talia. Don't you think we should speak to Cam before that?" 

She slowed her hurried movements and sat beside her husband on the bed. Her son had spent his entire vacation at her father's estate, running around with that omega, and she had no idea how to convey her concerns to him in a manner he could comprehend. But he was her son, so she was determined to try. Talia laid a hand over David's, and nodded. 

"Yes, we should...I guess...I'm finding it difficult to find the words to start that conversation. David?..." she turned to her husband with concerned eyes "...I do love him. I just want to do what's best for him; he's too young to understand how the world works." 

David lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles lightly. "I know Talia, let's just...carve out some time before school starts and talk to him, ok?" She nodded as her phone buzzed in her lap. David smiled and walked her to the car, before kissing her softly on the cheek. 

"Go on, I'll wait up for you."

Talia smiled and slid into the car, directing her driver to take her to Senator Argent's offices on Arcadia Blvd. 

 

**********************

The brakes of Peter's car screeched loudly as he pressed his foot to the break and pulled up in front of his home. He stared at his white knuckled hands curled around the steering wheel, focusing in on the small patch of skin that Chris had caressed with his fingers. 

Peter threw open the car door and walked into the house without even bothering to shut the door behind him. As he walked past the reception rooms, up the stairs, he removed every article of clothing on his body and left them scattered on the ground. By the time he reached the bathroom, he was stark naked, and walked straight into the large shower enclosure. As the water washed away the lingering traces of Chris' cologne, the night that everything had fallen apart...god, so many years ago, played on a loop in his mind. 

"You're just like the rest of them...a filthy fucking trou!" 

Even now, the memory of the venom and utter contempt in Chris's tone as he spat those disgusting words, made him ache. Peter shook his head beneath the spray and suppressed the decades old feelings of loss and betrayal. Fuck Chris. And fuck love. He had everything he needed in life. He was happy. 

 

 

TBC........


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek talks to someone who opens his eyes a little....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, new day, new chapter - please enjoy! Btw thank you all for your comments and I'm sorry for not responding, but this fic is kicking my ass - I have literally no idea how long this thing is going to be...she writes nervously. Anyway, I'll try to respond to your comments in due course. Thank you again for the kudos and comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Two days after his encounter with Stiles, Derek was back at the hotel, watching another game and drinking another beer. Two days, and he hadn't been able to get the omega's scent or the image of his eyes flashing in anger, out of his mind. He'd fucked Kate all over her apartment, making her scream in ecstasy so often, that she'd eventually tapped out and pushed him off. And yet....those fucking eyes still haunted his every waking moment. Even as Kate lay comatose in the bed beside him, his mind had flooded with image after image of a smirking face with deep set golden eyes. What the fuck was wrong with him? 

He tipped the bottle back and gulped the rest of the beer, before slamming the bottle on the table. It seemed that even the omega's scent had embedded itself in his skin, because no matter how throughly he showered, the sugary sweetness of the boy's scent followed him everywhere. Derek clenched his eyes shut and thumped the table with a closed fist. Enough was enough; this madness had to stop. This craving that had begun the day he'd first set eyes on Stiles was slowly but surely driving him insane, but no more. This had to stop. He had to stop. 

He dropped a few crumpled notes by the empty bottle and walked out of the bar. As he pushed open the doors, he saw two men walk across the lobby, and paused as he recognised the two assholes from the elevator. He watched in shock as the two men exited the hotel, laughing and joking, and drove away in a chauffeur driven limousine. What. The. Fuck?! Those rapey bastards should have been behind bars by now!

Angry and confused, he strode across to the concierge's desk, fully intending to demand an explanation. A tall, slim man stood behind the desk in a smart suit, conversing with another hotel employee, and Derek quickly recognised him as the man he'd instructed to contact the police. How serendipitous, he thought grimly, as he rapped his knuckles on the sleek wood of the desk top. 

The man turned to him with a wide, accommodating smile, but faltered as he saw who stood beyond the desk. Derek flicked his eyes down to the man's name badge before asking if they could talk private. The man nodded, and instructed the woman behind him to cover his post, before leading Derek into a private office. 

***********************

Benjamin Moreno sighed as he watched the irate alpha pacing back and forth across the floor of the office. 

"I don't understand! I saw them! I saw what they did to that woman. Hell, you guys even have CCTV footage, right?" asked Derek Hale incredulously. 

Ben nodded, but that only seemed to make the man angrier. He struggled not to roll his eyes at the alpha's naivete, but really, could anything else be expected of the rich, insulated, Hale scion? Ben watched the alpha shake his head in disgust, before finally sitting down across from him. 

"This isn't right. Those men shouldn't be allowed to walk away like nothing happened" said Derek in a low voice, as he stared out of the window. He wholeheartedly agreed with the alpha, but in reality, alphas and betas getting away with sexual assault, and even rape, was common place. Under the guise of involuntary and uncontrollable lust induced by an omega's heat or pheromones, the abuses that went unnoticed and unpunished, were many and horrific. 

"Mr. Hale, Alice truly appreciated your intervention that day, but there is nothing else we can do. The police department have dismissed the complaint." Derek once again shook his head. 

"Why was the complaint dismissed in the face of such definitive evidence?"

Ben sighed and shrugged his shoulders, before picking up the picture frame on his desk. "Pick a reason, Mr. Hale. The police tend to dismiss such cases for the flimsiest of reasons. In Alice's case, they said that because she'd had her heat a month before, the alpha's could not be held responsible for responding to her residual pheromones..." he touched his fingers to the laughing face of his omega son, and shuddered "...they called it a 'predictably natural response', and advised us to reassess our hiring policy." 

Ben sighed and placed the frame back on his desk. Derek sat in silence and his gaze remained fixed on the hotel grounds outside of the window. He watched the alpha quietly for a moment, before clearing his throat and standing up. 

"As I said Mr. Hale, Alice was very grateful for your assistance, but the situation has been resolved. I'll show you out." He walked around the desk and held the door open for the alpha, who inexplicably, remained seated at the desk. Ben checked his watch, and politely coughed to catch Derek's attention. 

"Mr. Hale, excuse me, but I -" 

"Would it be possible for me to speak with Alice?" Ben frowned and moved back around his desk. 

"For what reason, Mr. Hale?" he asked genuinely confused. What could this man possibly have to say to an omega who worked as a lowly hotel maid? 

"5 minutes, Mr. Moreno." The alpha looked at him with troubled eyes, "just 5 minutes." The sincerity in Derek's voice surprised him, as did the fact that the alpha had any interest in pursuing the matter further. Ben picked up the phone and dialed the relevant extension. When the call was eventually picked up, he turned his back on the alpha and spoke quietly into the phone. 

"Alice? It's me...I have someone here who wants to speak with you...."

 

**********************

 

"Thank you." 

Derek looked up at the blonde woman in confusion. Alice smiled softly and pulled the sleeves of her sweater down over her hands. 

"I never got to say it before, so, thank you...for stepping in that day." 

"No, don't thank me. It should never have happened...I'm sorry that those men weren't punished for what they did to you..." his face paled as he remembered pinning Stiles to the wall, "...nobody should be allowed to treat you that way" he finished quietly. 

Alice wiped a stray tear from her cheek and chewed on her trembling lip. "You'd think right? It's not the first time it's happened and it won't be the last...but...everytime they touch me...or look at me like that...the violation of it...it brands itself onto your skin...I'm just so tired of it all..." 

Derek watched as Alice choked out the words in a broken voice and crossed her arms protectively across her chest. The depth of grief in her voice and the wretched despair that painted her face, stirred something akin to sorrow within him, and the transgressions that she alluded to repulsed him, even as he recognised hints of his own behaviour in her words. He'd...touched and looked at Stiles in a way that had made the omega angry and uncomfortable. A few times. Derek felt sick as he leaned back against the cushioned seat. 

He'd always heard stories about the wandering hands of aggressive alphas and horny betas, but had laughed it off with his buddies; 'oh, those omega's, weren't they the biggest cockteases?' Even in college, when one of the fraternities had been found to be organising 'heat orgies', the scandal had barely registered with him. The only omega's he really knew were part of his family, and his parents and peers had always dismissed the stories and scandals with an unconcerned air. 'This is America and that kind of medieval shit doesn't happen here, it's just a few spurned omega's blowing things up' had been the general consensus, both at home and on campus. 

But the woman sitting across from him was no spurned omega 'blowing things up'. She'd been violated by a pair of lecherous alpha's, then violated again when law enforcement failed to punish those who had transgressed against her. Derek heard a quiet sob escape Alice's mouth, and cautiously moved his chair forward. He gently laid a hand on her forearm, careful not to touch her too intimately. 

Alice hissed and pulled her arm away from his touch. Derek froze in horror, before scrambling as far from the slight woman as he could , and backing out of the room. Apology after apology fell from his lips as he finally reached the door and pulled it open. He glanced back quickly to ensure the omega was alright, and stared open mouthed as Alice pulled up her sleeve to reveal deep purple bruises in the shape of fingerprints, marking her skin. The memory of himself throwing Stiles against the wall of the cottage flashed before his eyes as Alice cradled her forearm, and examined the bruising. 

"What happened?" he asked her. 

Alice pulled her sleeve back down her arm and shrugged. "The alpha's didn't much appreciate being questioned by the local PD." Incensed, Derek pulled out his phone and had just hit the first 1, of 911, when Alice rushed forward and wrenched the phone from his hands. 

"Give me the ph-"

"No! Please Mr. Hale, just leave it alone. It'll only get worse if you call the police. Please?" His fury evaporated in the face of her desperate pleading. He palmed his face and sighed. Alice clutched the phone tightly to her chest as her body trembled. He watched the omega in quiet contemplation for a minute.

"Fine. No police, but you have to let me take you to a hospital. Maybe they can give you something for those nasty bruises" he said. Alice nodded in agreement, and handed his phone back. 

"Mr. Hale...my insura-" he cut her off with a raised hand and told her not to worry. 

"I know a place that caters exclusively for omega's, come on."

 

************************

 

Stiles watched the pretty blonde omega smile and nod at Derek as Doctor McCall removed the ice pack from her arm, and handed her a bottle of Tylenol. He saw a frown marr Derek's face before he looked up, and stared directly at him. Stiles leaned against the wall, crossed his arms and narrowed his eyes at the alpha. Derek had somehow conned this young omega into thinking he was a nice guy, which he was most definitely not, and Stiles was going to make sure he didn't screw her around. Not whilst at the Centre atleast. 

Derek stared at him for another minute before shaking his head, and looking away. Huh...weird. The young blonde omega touched his arm in concern, but Derek merely smiled and helped her up off the hospital bed. 

"Try and rest the arm as much as possible over the next 24 hours, and keep on icing it, that should help with the swelling. Ok, Alice, you're ready to go" said Doctor McCall, before handing her a green discharge slip. Derek picked up the omega's things and rushed past Stiles as he muttered "I'll wait for you outside Alice". 

Huh....weirdja vu. Stiles showed Alice the omega the way to the entrance, and watched as Derek held the door open for her. Derek the Dick was acting shady, and Stiles hoped the sweet looking omega didn't get caught up in his bullshit. 

"Stiles?" He turned to see Doctor McCall beckoning him over to the children's room and nodded. He grabbed a box of books from the main office and walked into the brightly painted kids ward. 

"Ok kids, whose turn is it to pick today?" 

 

************************

 

Talia checked the time. Oh god...9pm. They'd been hammering away at the redraft of the bill for 3 days now, and she was exhausted. She and Victoria had practically camped out at the office on Arcadia Blvd since Victoria's meeting at the CCA, trying to incorporate the new language in a way that wouldn't have the liberals immediately spewing garbage about omega discrimination to any clown with a camera and microphone. 

"What do you think?" asked Victoria, as Gérard finished reading the bill. The Argent patriarch glanced up at the both of them and smiled.

"This..." he tapped the bill laying on the desk "...is exactly what this country needs. I'll call Dick over at the CCA tomorrow and tell him to expect the redraft tomorrow afternoon. Well done girls." 

Talia beamed at the praise; Gérard Argent was not an easy man to please, but she'd impressed him! As Victoria and Gérard discussed the right time to propose the bill, she rubbed her tired eyes and thought of home and of family. She sighed as she thought of her father; things were about to get very messy. 

 

 

TBC.......


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cam goes back to school and meets someone new....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I hope you enjoy the new chapter. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

'And lastly; a fresh wave of protests have broken out in Indiana, this evening, after a jury returned with a verdict of not guilty in the case of 16 year old Amy Wells. Ms. Wells, who alleged that she had been heat raped by 3 alpha's in May of last year, was visibly distraught by the verdict, and her lawyer has stated that the family will appeal the decision. Ms . Wells' lawyer made this statement, outside the court today: 

"Amy and her family are devastated by the outcome of this case. It is truly a sad day in this country, when three men are allowed to walk free after having committed such a heinous crime against a defenceless, vulnerable minor. The family are determined to continue to fight for justice, and I fully intend to pursue-" '

Cam switched off the car radio, and tightened his hold on the straps of his rucksack. Derek pulled into the school parking lot and parked the car, before turning to him. 

"Cam? You've been pretty quiet, everything ok?" 

Cam looked out of the window at the grande school building and shrugged. The prestigious Bruton Manor boarding school had been founded in 1942, and was the school of choice for kids of the rich and the stupidly rich. Not only was the school his mother's alma mater, but all three of his siblings had also attended the school in years past. Cam hated it. He hated the place with a passion; the school was filled with rich douchbags who either leered at his omega ass or laughed at him for being a 'dorky loser'. Ugh. 

Derek tapped him on the shoulder, and he turned to see his brother watching him with concerned eyes. Crap! He hated it when Derek looked at him like that; it always lead to long, annoying conversations about his feelings, and always, always ended with Derek saying "you know you can talk to me about anything, right?" But that was the thing; Derek would never be able to understand what it was like to be an omega. To be constantly stared at, to be underestimated because of his orientation, and to always be part of the 'other'. It sucked. 

But Derek was his big brother, who underneath the muscles and lumberjack beard, was a big sap when it came to him. So Cam smiled, and teasingly rolled his eyes. 

"Chill Derek; God, you know you're like the biggest sap ever right? That beard's not fooling anyone, I mea-OW!" He laughed as Derek punched him playfully on the arm a second time. 

"I miss the days when you couldn't talk."

Cam rolled his eyes again, as Derek exited the car with a smirk, and began pulling his stuff out of the trunk. Cam got out of the car and helped him unload the rest of his bags. When they finally finished hauling all of the bags up to his room, Derek looked at him and asked "you sure you're ok?" 

Cam looked around the room that had been home for the last year, and nodded. 

"Just back to school blues I guess. And I'll miss Stiles" he said, as he turned back to Derek. His brother paled a little, before nodding and averting his gaze.

"Yeah, of course...I, uh, I mean he- Stiles can come visit, right?" Cam stared at his brother in confusion; Derek was acting weird, like really weird, and he wondered what was going on with him. Before he could ask, a blonde haired kid came barrelling through the door and dumped his bags on the nice bed by the window. What the hell? 

"Who the hell are you?" he asked the blonde kid, as the boy breathed heavily. The boy turned sharply at the sound of his voice and smiled widely, before stepping forward and extending a hand. 

"Oh, hey dude, I'm Jackson, your new room mate. Bas is moving in with Ted across the hall, so, I just ran across campus to get the room. You don't even wanna know; I had the weirdest room mate last semester, so when Ms. Lureman told me about Bas, I freaking ran like the wind." 

Both Cam and Derek stared at the kid, open mouthed, but the kid- Jackson, didn't seem to mind. Derek recovered first, nodded at Jackson, and left the room, muttering something about grabbing them some food. Cam looked from the kid's hand to his face, and reluctantly shook Jackson's hand. 

"Oh wow, you're an omega?" Cam wrenched his hand away and stepped back uncertainly. Jackson frowned, before his eyes widened in understanding. He threw his hands up in front of him and shook his head. 

"Shit! No, no, no! I didn't mean like - my best friend back home; Danny? He's an omega too. Like it's totally fine. Don't worry dude, it's cool, I mean you're cool- crap! It just came out, sorry!" the blonde beta blurted.

Cam sighed and told Jackson not to worry about it, before walking out of the room in search of his big brother. Great, he thought, on top of having to come back to this crappy school, he'd have to deal with a new room mate. Just freaking great. 

 

**********************

 

Talia ate her salad quietly as her husband picked at his steak. Cam had left for school this morning and, although she'd embraced him tightly before waving him off, she hadn't actually spoken to him since that night at her father's. She had been so busy with Victoria and Gérard that she'd completely forgotten about the conversation she'd had with David last week. Now her husband was angry with her, and she had no idea how to placate him. Cam was gone, and they'd been moving around one another silently all day. 

"How's your steak?" 

David remained silent and sliced another small piece of steak. The tense silence made her uncomfortable, and she finally gave up on the salad and cleared her throat. 

"David, I'm-"

"One conversation Talia, that's all I asked; one conversation to assure our son that his mother still loves him. But evidently, your work with Victoria takes precedent over your own son." She flinched at his harsh words and felt her cheeks flush with anger. 

"Everything I'm doing is to protect my son! This bill will make sure that omega's everywhere are taken care of and protected. Is there any clearer way to show my son that I love him?"

Her husband shook his head and pushed his plate away, before silently leaving the dining room. Talia screamed in frustration, but quieted as she heard her phone ringing. She pulled the phone out of her pocket and saw Gérard's name flashing across the screen. 

She took a deep breath and composed herself before answering. David could believe what he wished, she knew that the path she was following was the right one. 

"Hello? Yes, of course Gérard, what time?" 

 

*********************

"Get up Stiles!" 

 

The cool of the cement floor seeped into his overheated body, and he groaned in relief. 

"Stiles!" 

Stiles squinted up at an amused Peter Hale, and managed to lift his shaking arm to flip him the bird. Peter laughed loudly and squatted down in front of his sweat drenched body. 

"Tut, tut, Stiles, what atrocious manners you have." 

Stiles pushed his trembling body off the floor of the gym and glared at Peter. 

"All the better to tell you to fuck off with, my dear" he retorted as he sat cross legged on the cold ground. 

A few days ago, Peter had thrown him a brand new pair of nikes and led him to a sleek, steel and concrete gym in the basement of his home. Stiles remembered looking at the gleaming pair of sneakers in suspicion, and wished now, that he'd trusted his gut, and told Peter to fuck off. Exercise was really not his thing. At all. In any way. 

"You realise we've only been working out for 20 minutes, right?" 

Stiles groaned and wiped the sweat from his brow with the bottom of his...ugh...soaking wet tshirt. 20 minutes?!? He was sure they'd been in this torture chamber Peter called a gym, for hours. If only twenty minutes had passed, then that meant he had atleast another forty minutes of this crap before Peter would let him leave. 

"How is that possible?! Look at me!" he whined, gesturing to his flushed face, heaving chest, and drenched shirt. Peter rolled his eyes and stood to his feet, before extending a hand to help him up. Stiles grasped Peter's hand and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet. 

"It's because you're new to this, give me a couple of months, and I'll turn your skinny ass into a mean fighting machine" said Peter, as Stiles chugged the bottled water. 

He wiped his mouth and asked "what happened to the lean part?" 

Peter looked him up and down, and grimaced. "I think you have the lean part down pat, kid." Stiles looked down at his skinny arms and skinny legs, and skinny...well, everything, and conceded with a " how right you are, Mr. Muscles."

Peter leaned against a wall and stretched his legs. When he spoke next, his tone was less playful and the rigid line of his back made Stiles choke back the joke he'd been about to make.

"It's important for omega's to be able to defend themselves, Stiles. At the arcade with Cam, you got lucky, but next time, luck won't cut it. Out there? There's no white knight with a gleaming sword and trusty steed, no kind stranger offering a helping hand, no magical entity that will shield you from the darkness...you have to learn to protect yourself Stiles, learn to ignore all the bullshit that you read and hear about omega's, and be your own saviour. If you don't....one day you'll just be another depressing news story on the nightly news." 

Stiles exhaled deeply and listened to the quiet hum of the lights overhead. He remembered the feel of a homeless man's erection pressing his ass, on a cold, dark night many months ago, and realised Peter was right. Up until now, he had been lucky, but luck was a capricious bitch, and he couldn't trust her to stick around. Stiles sat back onto the weight bench and lay down, before glancing at Peter. 

"So, you gonna spot me or what, Mr. Muscles?" 

 

************************

 

Derek's phone buzzed on the seat beside him and he saw Laura's name displayed on the screen. 

He'd waved goodbye to Cam about an hour ago, and planned to drive to the gym, before meeting Kate for a late dinner, and Laura calling him would surely screw up all those plans. He considered ignoring the call, because knowing Laura, she probably wanted him to run a 'little errand', which would most likely take him hours, and be more large than little. The buzzing of the phone got louder, and he cursed before finally picking it up, and answering the call. 

"No, Laura" he said immediately, doing away with the niceties. His sister laughed, and he huffed in annoyance as he pulled to a stop at a red light. 

"Why do we play this game Derek? You know, the one where I ask you to do something, you say no, I say yes, and on and on, until you finally cave. Can we just cut to the chase?" 

"I hate you so much. What is it?" he asked through gritted teeth, because she was right; he always caved. 

"Aww baby brother, don't be such a meanie" she teased. 

He banged his head against the steering wheel in frustration, but froze when he heard high pitched giggling. He looked up to his right and saw two little girls in the car next to him watching his little show. Derek felt his face heat as the two girls gave him a thumbs up and imitated his head banging, just before the car drove away. 

"Laura! What do you want?!" 

"God, fine grumpy! I need you to collect some documents from Peter. He's at home now, so would you mind picking them up?" 

"I love how you phrase that like a question." Laura laughed again and thanked him, before ending the call. 

Half an hour later, he pulled up in front of Peter's house and knocked on the door. He swept his gaze across the lush grounds, and grumbled to himself about annoying sisters and slow uncles; seriously, how long did it take to answer a damn door? 

After 5 minutes and more loud knocking, the door finally opened. He turned around with a scowl already in place as he moaned "about damn time." Which...was unfortunate, to say the least, given that it wasn't his uncle who answered the door. 

Stiles stood in the doorway, breathing heavily and drenched in sweat, with a less than impressed look on his face. Fuck, why? Why did this shit always happen to him?

"Nice to see you too, asshole."

 

TBC.......


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek feels awkward around Stiles, and later, makes a surprising discovery. ....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers, I had a bad nights sleep last night, and suddenly found myself writing this, this morning. So, enjoy the second chapter update today....yay? 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

The silence in the room was suffocating, but Derek kept his gaze fixed firmly on the painting in front of him. He couldn't hear Stiles moving around behind him, but he could feel the heat of his gaze on his back and smell the sweetness of his scent in the air. Derek shoved his hands into his jacket and curled them into fists so tight, that the nails cut painfully into his palms. His heart pounded so loudly that he was sure the omega could hear it across the room, and that thought caused a sheen of sweat to dampen his skin. 

Derek ran a trembling hand through his hair and quickly rushed out of the room to the bottom of the staircase. He could hear his uncle pattering around upstairs, no doubt looking for the papers Laura needed, but he couldn't stay in this house anymore. He was trembling like an alcoholic at an open bar. 

"Peter!" he yelled up the stairs. His uncle appeared at the top of the stairs a moment later with an annoyed expression on his face. 

"For god's sake Derek, calm the hell down, I'll just be anot-" Derek cut him off as he pulled his keys from his pocket. 

"Sorry, look, I just got a call, I have to go. I'll send a driver for the papers later. Bye." Before his uncle could even respond, he was out the door and back in the safe confines of his car. He saw Stiles watching him from the window, and pressed his foot firmly to the gas. With pathetic desperation, he rummaged around in his glove compartment until his hands finally curled around the crumpled cardboard packet. It had been 14 months since he'd kicked the habit, but desperate times. He inhaled the acrid smoke of the cigarette, and relief settled deep in his bones as the taste of nicotine erased the boy's sweetness from his mouth. 

Thirty seconds later, he flicked the butt out of the window and tried to forget the last 20 minutes of his life. The omega's scent was like fucking crack, and he was way too close to becoming addicted. 

 

***********************

 

"What was that about?" Peter asked, his tone laced with curiosity. 

Stiles watched the alpha drive away before he said "I don't know." And he didn't. Derek was confusing. The man had lied about receiving a call, and had run out of the house like it was on fire. 

The trembling of his body hadn't gone unnoticed either, but unlike the last few times they'd met, Derek didn't pull him close and push up against him. In his experience, alpha's rarely changed; once an asshole, always an asshole, so this game that Derek was playing with him? Pissed him off. He liked to know what an alpha was thinking, no matter how disgusting the thought, and not knowing what Derek was thinking...or intending to do, made a spark of fear run through his veins. 

"Come on, back in the gym, kid." He nodded, and followed Peter into the basement. 

 

***********************

 

"I'm announcing in two days, and I want you there, Tally." 

Victoria smiled at the shocked look on her friend's face, and handed her a copy of the freshly bound bill. The CCA had signed off, the relevant Senators had received generous 'donations' to their reelection campaigns, and she'd finally secured the last missing piece of the puzzle. 

"Also, I just got off the phone with Ms. Blake, and she agreed to endorse me. She'll be saying a few words at the rally, just after I announce my candidacy; the bills going to hit the floor tomorrow, and it'll be the primary focus of my campaign. We have everything in place to secure the necessary votes, now we just have to sell it to the public. Are you ready Tally?" 

Her friend ran reverent hands over the black print on the cover of the binding, and nodded. Victoria smiled, and beckoned her over to the desk to go through her speech. She'd be proposing the bill in the house tomorrow, and wanted to make sure her words were as powerful as they were persuasive. She may already have the votes, but this speech would mark a turning point in this country, and she wanted her words to be remembered for time immemorial. 

She cleared her throat and read the speech aloud for Talia. 

"Colleagues, I stand today to propose a piece of legislation that I believe will act as an anchor in the drifting sea in which we find ourselves, regarding the rights and liberties of the American people. The rights and roles of omega's have long been debated in these chambers, and it is time to rectify the mistakes of our predecessors, who prematurely, and against the will of the people, created laws that are fracturing the foundations of this great country. I hereby propose bill 11637-B: The Omega Reclamation Bill...."

 

***********************

 

William threw the sheaf of papers into the fire, and tossed back the rest of his scotch as he watched the paper curl and burn in the flames. 

"Tell me she doesn't have the votes" he said to the man sat by his desk. In the orange glow of the crackling fire, Jonathan Moore looked almost demonic with his white hair and sunken cheeks, but William had known the man for decades and considered him to be amongst the best of men. Jonathan swirled the last dregs of his liquor in the cut glass tumbler, and sighed. 

"She's got them alright. None of the corrupt bastards are talking of course, but I'd say it's safe to say that the passing of the bill is a foregone conclusion." 

William poured himself another drink and stared at the photograph of his beautiful wife on the mantlepiece. A sharp pain ran across his chest, but he ignored it, and sipped quietly at his liquor. 

"Who bankrolled her?" 

"Carson at the CCA. The bill's his dream come true; health care restrictions, sexual and reproductive controls, economic and employment curtailments. This things going to put us back in the dark ages." 

Both alpha's sat silently, contemplating the horrific future that lay before their children, before their grandchildren, once this bill became law. That his daughter had coauthored the bill caused a pain so deep that it almost snatched the air from his lungs. Peter, Cameron, Stiles...what was going to become of them? 

"Has the democratic candidate for Governor been announced yet?" he asked his friend, already formulating ways to kill the bill. 

"William, it won't work..." his friend sighed "... the President has always leaned to the far right on this matter; he'll sign the bill." 

"We'll work on that later, Jonathan, right now? I'd like to knock that smug smile off of Argents face. As for my daughter..." he felt another jolt of pain run through his body "...I'll deal with her myself." 

 

*********************

 

Derek drove like a mad man until he reached Kate's apartment. He jumped out of the car and made his way quickly through the exclusive building, up to her apartment. As he pushed the key into the lock, he ripped off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. The boy's scent was all over him, on his clothes, in his nose, on his tongue, and he needed to wash it away as quickly as possible. 

Derek opened the door and walked across the hall to the bathroom, but froze suddenly, as he heard moaning coming from the bedroom. 

"Oh fuucck...right there!" he heard Kate scream through the closed bedroom door. The masculine grunt that followed that direction, jolted him out of his immobile state, and he slowly walked toward the bedroom. As he got closer, the moans got louder and the smell of sex got more pungent. He gently turned the knob and cracked open the door. 

Kate sat naked atop a much older man, rocking back and forth, as the man played with her breasts. He saw Kate shudder before the man grabbed hold of her hips roughly and pushed up with surprising force. 

"Oh fuck, that's it baby girl...fuck!" The man grunted one last time and evidently orgasmed, or so he assumed, by Kate's displeased expression. She finally slid off his lap and reached for a robe on the floor beside the bed. 

"God, baby, you're like the fountain of fucking youth! I can't seem to put my cock to sleep when I'm with you" laughed the man as he fondled Kate through the robe and kissed her neck. Kate shrugged him off and walked across to the vanity table. 

"Well, that's enough for today Richard, don't you have to get back to the office?" She said to the man as she used a wet wipe to clean her neck. The man leapt from the bed, naked and...ugh...erect again, the effects of viagra he assumed, given the man's age. 

"The CCA practically runs itself, so..." he pushed up behind Kate and rocked against her "...why don't you..." he flipped her around and yanked the tie of her robe "...show daddy how much you like his cock?" 

Derek watched in disgust as Kate laughed, and fell to her knees. He frowned when he noticed her hand on the man's thigh shake, but disgust returned quickly when he pulled her hair roughly and fucked her face. Derek closed the door and retrieved his jacket from the hallway floor. He'd seen enough. He could hardly be angry with Kate given his own indiscretion and his current insanity regarding a certain amber eyed omega, but something in the scene he'd just witnessed unsettled him. He quickly and quietly made his way out of the building and sent Kate a short message wishing her well in her 'new relationship'. 

He reached home a half hour later and went straight up to his room. Today had been shitty enough without having to deal with the tension between his parents. Derek stripped off his clothes and fell into the warm embrace of the shower. Yes, today had been a very shitty day indeed. 

 

***********************

 

"Hey, it's Cam, I just wanted to check in and say thanks for the secret stash of candy. Call me when Peter finally releases you from the chamber of horrors. Later, loser." 

Jackson listened to Cam's call with interest as he screwed around on his phone, and wondered how to start a conversation with his new roomie. The dark haired boy had barely spoken to him since his scary looking brother had left a few hours ago.

The dragon on his screen roared as he plunged the diamond encrusted sword into its chest and Jackson leapt off the bed, yelling in triumph. 

"Ha! Told you I'd finally kill you; now suffer the wrath of the mighty sword of diamondra!!" He yelled with his arms in the air, as his phone bleeped, notifying him that he'd reached the next level. Jackson heard a rustling behind him and froze. Oohh craapp! He'd totally forgotten about Cam. He slowly lowered his arms and straightened his shirt, before jumping back onto his bed. He could feel his face go hot and scolded himself for not listening to his father, who'd told him to act 'normal' at school. Jackson pulled his sheet over his shoulders and turned his back to Cam. 

"Dude....you reached level 50?" whispered Cam breathlessly behind him. Jackson looked back to see Cam staring at his phone in awe. 

"Uh, yeah...wanna play? I have the PS4 version too" he said hesitantly. Cam jumped off his bed and reached for his rucksack under the bed, before switching on the TV. 

"Hell yes! And look..." Cam pulled a huge bag of candy out of the rucksack "....I have perfect gaming food!" 

 

TBC........


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia finds herself scrambling to get Victoria ready....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy the new chapter and let me know what you think. Also, apologies for not responding to your comments, but RL can get crazy busy sometimes. But, I'll try and respond to all your comments soon. Thanks for the kudos and comments :-) 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

For some reason, the image of Kate and the man screwing, stayed in his mind long after he'd collapsed in bed. More specifically, the image of Kate dropping to her knees....unsettled him. It wasn't the sex itself, god knows they'd been voracious at times, it was the sound of her laugh as she fell to her knees. The memory of her shaking hand on the man's thigh. Kate was no wilting flower in the bedroom, and definitely had her share of kinks, but he'd never known her to respond to the whole 'daddy' thing favourably. 

Even as she'd dropped to the floor, he remembered the hollowness of her laugh, and feeling disgust at the lecherous look on the man's face as he pulled her hair. Another thing he'd been sure she hated. The man hadn't seemed to care, had simply used her like a receptacle. Derek paused as he remembered the cute beta at the hotel, and felt ashamed; was he really any different to the man he'd seen today? He'd fucked the cute beta to try to get Stiles out of his head, and then he'd left him sleeping in the bed without even a cursory 'it was fun'. Fuck! As a deep sense of shame and regret settled in his stomach, he scrubbed a hand over his face and reached for his phone. 

'Fuck you, Derek. What did you do, watch us the entire time? I don't need your well wishes, do you have any idea who I'm fucking? Don't come back here again.' 

Kate had sent the message over an hour ago, and it wasn't the first time he was reading it. The hostility aside, they'd known each other a long time, and as an image of her shaking hand flashed before his eyes, he decided to go and see her tomorrow. Something was seriously...off, and he owed it to her to find out if she was ok. 

As it turned out, he didn't visit or call Kate, because the next day a 16 year old omega named Amy Wells murdered three alpha's in a courthouse in Indiana, and the entire country went crazy. 

 

**********************

"Megan, you're on the scene now, can you tell us what happened? What is local law enforcement saying?" 

A tall, attractive blonde stood outside of a cordoned off courthouse amid a sea of other reporters, and dozens of flashing blue lights. The blonde reporter pressed a finger to her ear and nodded as she heard the question. 

" Well, Eric, this morning, alpha's; Andrew Wilson, Tyler Murray, and Brad Degrass, arrived at the courthouse in response to an emergency filing by the family of the suspect. The suspect, 16 year old Amy Wells, last year claimed that these alpha's heat raped her. The rape case was finally concluded yesterday, with the jury finding all three defendants not guilty. According to local law enforcement, an angry Ms. Wells lured the men to an empty room in the court house and murdered them. Ms . Wells was apprehended almost immediately after the crime, but as of yet, we haven't heard anything about charges being filed."

The coiffed, tanned man in the news studio nodded with a troubled expression on his face. 

"Obviously, Megan, many people will be asking how such a young girl was able to single handedly, subdue these men long enough to kill them. Have local officials made any comment?" 

The blonde reporter tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and stared at the camera intently. 

"Not as of yet, but many people who witnessed Ms. Wells being handcuffed and removed from the courthouse, commented on the strong scent of heat emanating from the young omega. A source with the local PD, told me that he suspected Ms. Wells purposefully secreted heat pheromones with the sole intention of luring the men to their deaths. The family of the suspect have yet to comment, but a press conference will be held by the families of the deceased later today."

The tanned man in the studio nodded and thanked the reporter, before turning back to the camera. 

"We will have more news on that story as it develops. In other news, the CEO of...."

 

************************

Talia rushed around the offices and answered call after call, as Gérard and Victoria finished preparing the amended speech. The bill had been proposed to the chamber early this morning, and the vote was scheduled to take place tomorrow afternoon. Ever since the news broke in Indiana, Gérard had decided to fast track the announcement, believing the event to be the perfect backdrop to Victoria's campaign. Three young alpha's murdered by an omega who used her physiology to incapacite them? Gérard couldn't have asked for anything more apt. 

As such, the announcement rally had been brought forward to late this afternoon, and she had to ensure that everything went off without a hitch. 

Four hours later, Talia stood behind Victoria on the raised stage, in front of hundreds of cameras and a surprisingly large crowd of supporters. The lights from the cameras irritated her eyes, but she smiled and nodded at the flag waving crowd. Victoria stood behind a podium bearing the words Argent for Governor with the tag line, it's time to reclaim our glory. She looked good in her fitted jacket and skirt; capable, beautiful, and strong. The crowd was quieted by her staff, and Victoria smiled widely at the cameras and announced her candidacy. The crowd erupted in joyful screaming, and the stars and stripes were hoisted high in the air. 

The smile was soon replaced by thin lips and a grim expression as Victoria began speaking about the murders in Indiana. 

"I would also like to take the time to condemn the brutal murder of the three young alpha's in Indiana this morning. I have long advocated the need for tighter controls in regards to omegas, but sadly people like Governor Parry disagreed, and this is the result. When I am Governor, I vow to work tirelessly to challenge and change these laws, that have cracked the very foundations of this great country. Many of my colleagues on the left seem to have forgotten that we live in a democratic country, and have continued to vote in favour of legislation that many of you never wanted. It is time to remind them of the power of the American people. So, raise your voices and demand to be heard! This is our country, and it's time to reclaim it!" 

The crowd went wild and chanted Victoria's name, as they waved banners bearing her name alongside the flag. Victoria smiled and waved to the crowd warmly. Talia watched the spectacle with rapt attention, and smiled at her friend when she glanced back at her. 

 

********************* 

Chris waved away the wait staff holding a tray of canapés, and watched his wife work the room like a pro. The hotel ballroom was decorated in the ubiquitous, red, white, and blue, and was filled with wealthy businessmen and influential Senators. He watched Victoria shrug off compliment after compliment from the people surrounding her, with fake modesty, and walked out of the room. When he finally reached the parking lot, he breathed a sigh of relief and quickly located his car, before driving away. 

Chris drove along the quiet streets and, as was always the case these days, felt at peace so far from his poisonous family. The sky was a pale mauve by the time he parked across from the large, modern house with ivy trailing over the front doors. The mix of modern and old world charm made him smile, and he exited the car and leaned against the hood. The windows of the large home were all dark and he wondered if the man was asleep or away. That question was quickly answered when a small, black sports car pulled up in front of the house, with the man seated in the drivers seat. 

Chris watched as a good looking man with dark hair and tanned skin, exited the passenger side, and said something to the man locking the car, who laughed loudly in response. The sound of Peter's familiar...yet foreign laugh, pierced the quiet of the evening, and he narrowed his eyes. The handsome, tanned man walked backwards to the front door and leaned against it, jutting his hips out suggestively. He watched with growing agitation as Peter leaned into the man and...kissed him. The two men fell into the house, their mouths firmly sealed together, and Chris quickly got back into his car. He pointedly ignored the now brightly lit windows of Peter's home as he drove away. 

It was only the memory of his father's guttural voice whispering threateningly into his ear, that stopped him from turning the car around, and breaking down that fucking ivy covered door. He pressed his foot to the gas and drove until the moon hung brightly in the black sky. Chris finally stopped at the beach and looked out at the vastness of the sea. He pulled out his wallet and searched for the tear in the lining. A moment later, he retrieved an old, faded photograph, and stared at the face of the blue eyed boy in silence. He stayed that way for hours, only returning home once the sun peaked over the hills beyond the water. 

 

**********************

"Senator Victoria Argent, of California, today announced her intention to run for Governor of the great state of California. The announcement didn't come as a surprise to many, but the huge crowds she drew certainly did. Senator Argent has always been known for her...shall we say...traditional views, but nonetheless, The Omega Reclamation Bill that she introduced to the House today, still came as a surprise to her fellow conservatives. The Bill is up for a vote in the House tomorrow, so let's talk with political analyst -"

Peter switched off the TV as Cesar slumbered on the bed. After hearing about the bill that fucking Argent bitch was planning on introducing, he'd put on his tightest shirt and given Cesar a call. He and the beta had known each other for years, and often enjoyed having hot, mind numbing, no strings attached sex. It had been the mind numbing part he had really needed tonight; but even now, as his body still hummed from the orgasm and his lover lay sleeping in bed, his mind was still a cacophony of dark thoughts. 

This bill would destroy everything, and yet neither he nor his father had any idea how to stop it. With the way the media was fear mongering after the incident in Indiana, it didn't even matter that the Argent bitch had bought the votes. The bill would pass regardless, and alpha's and betas would have new reason to vilify and suppress the much smaller omega population. Peter stepped out onto the balcony and stared up at the inky black sky, as the faces of Cam, Stiles, Diana...even his mother, flashed before his eyes. 

Peter couldn't let this happen, he'd worked too hard to let the fucking Argents and his sister destroy everything. 

 

**********************

 

William perused the documents Jonathan had prepared, and signed on the dotted line. His friend checked that all the relevant pages had been signed and glanced at him across the desk.

"Are you sure, William?"

The dull ache in his chest burned fiercely all of a sudden, and William closed his eyes at the pain. 

"William?" He opened his eyes as the pain passed, and exhaled deeply. Jonathan watched him worridly, but William sat forward and met his friend's gaze directly. 

"I'm sure Jonathan. Have it done by tomorrow." 

 

TBC........


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter tries to delay the passing of the bill and William gets some news....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG guys, this fic...is kicking my a**! Ignore me, I'm just frustrated from tapping out this story on my phone. Anyway, enjoy the new chapter, and once again, thank you for your continued support. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"So, what do you say Senator?" 

The woman sat across from him removed her glasses and set them on the desk. At 57 years of age, Senator Susan Mallory was still an attractive woman; with fashionably short ash blonde hair, high cheekbones, and pale grey eyes. The woman had served as a Senator for over 18 years, and had been a prominent voice in the sphere of omega rights for over 10 of those 18 years. 

"Peter, we've known each other for years, and you know that I respect you for your continued efforts to better the lives of those in your community, but..." the Senator sat forward in her seat and rested her chin on her hand "...it's over. I've spoken to my colleagues across the aisle and the bill is as good as passed. They have the majority Peter...what do you think a filibuster could possibly accomplish?" 

Peter set his jaw and clamped down on the anger that he felt at having to beg for help. Of the hundreds of Senators in not only California, but the whole of the US, not even one was an omega. So, he was reduced to this; having to schlep his way to these offices with hat in hand pleading for assistance...for protection, from people whose job it was to protect the people of this country from the abuses of government. But, at the end of the day, no matter how sympathetic a beta or alpha may be to the cause, they'd never truly understand the struggles and hardships of the life of an omega. Which was why, despite Senator Mallory's progressive views, she'd already accepted defeat. 

"Peter?"

He looked up at her and nodded. " I understand your point, Senator, but a filibuster would atleast give us time to think of a way out of this ridiculous situation. You've read the bill; you cannot possibly think this will be a good thing for the people of this state." 

The Senator rubbed her eyes and sighed. "Peter-"

"Please Susan, just buy me some time...please" he implored. The Senator picked up her glasses from the desk and slipped them back on. 

"Ok. But the vote's this afternoon, and I don't have anything prepared, so I'm going to need-"

He interrupted her and pulled the folder from his briefcase, before setting it down on the desk in front of her . "If you don't mind, I took the liberty of preparing a few notes."

The Senator glanced down at the thick folder, then looked back at him with an arched brow. He shrugged and leaned back in his chair silently. The vote was just over 6 hours away, and the Senator had a lot to read.

 

**********************

 

Derek listened to the raised voices of his parents and sighed. They'd been arguing all morning about the bill that his mother had worked on, and from the screams he heard coming from behind their bedroom door, his father was very, very unhappy with its contents. When he'd returned home last night, he'd sensed an underlying tension in their stilted interactions, but it hadn't been until the yelling started that he realised how serious it was. His father never argued with his mother, never. Despite being an alpha himself, he'd always followed his mother's lead without argument. 

When he'd hit puberty, and his alpha traits had really started to manifest themselves, this...submissiveness, had always confused him. Derek remembered being 13 and asking his father why he never challenged his mother. Alpha's were dominant, competitive, and opinionated, and though alpha couplings were not rare anymore, they were known to be contentious. His father had laughed and told him that for a relationship to work, sometimes one person had to follow. Especially in alpha pairings. 

"But I love your mother Derek, and I know that she loves and respects me, so if she wants to lead for a little while, I'm ok with that. Just because I don't 'challenge' her, doesn't mean I'm not heard." 

As the screaming got louder behind the closed doors of their bedroom, it became clear to Derek that perhaps his mother had stopped listening. He grabbed his keys, ran down the stairs, and out the door to his car. The screaming had given him a headache, and all he wanted was a drink. 

An hour and a half later, he was back in the hotel bar with his hand curled around yet another bottle of beer. Despite sending her several texts this morning, he still hadn't heard anything from Kate since yesterday, and he debated about going to see her. She'd probably be pissed if he just showed up, and Derek didn't want to disturb her if she turned out to be...busy. So he sent her another quick message about possibly meeting up, before paying his bill and leaving the bar. He spotted Benjamin Moreno behind the concierge's desk and nodded politely when their eyes met across the lobby. As he walked to the entrance of the hotel, he saw Alice; the hotel maid he'd helped, exit an employees only area, and stopped. 

The omega was just as slender as the last time he'd seen her, but the colour had returned to her cheeks, and she didn't look terrified. He called her name and watched her look back in confusion. When she saw him, the omega smiled politely and waited for him to make his way to her. 

"Hi, remember me?" he asked, with what he hoped was a warm smile. The omega nodded. 

"Of course, Mr. Hale, how could I forget?" He laughed awkwardly and asked how she was.

"Erm...better, thank you, Mr. Hale. I followed Doctor McCall's instructions and the bruises faded pretty quickly. Thank you, by the way...for taking care of the hospit-" He silenced her with a raised hand and shook his head. 

"Please, I'm just glad I could help. And please, call me Derek." Alice smiled warmly and nodded, as a silence descended between them. Derek grew anxious as he realised he had no idea what to say next. Alice appeared amused at his slowly reddening face, and put him out of his misery by asking what he was doing at the hotel. 

"Just needed to get out of the house. You?" His mind processed what he'd just asked the second after the enquiry left his mouth, and he flushed in embarrassment. Alice pointedly looked down at her maid's uniform, then shrugged. 

"I needed to get out of the house too." Alpha and omega stared at one another in silence for a minute, before they both started laughing. Derek scratched the back of his head and apologised. 

"My brain only seems to catch up with what's happening after I've said or done something stupid. Sorry. So, everything's ok?" 

Alice nodded as she checked her watch. "Sorry Mr-Derek. I need to get back to work. But thanks again, for everything." 

" You've thanked me enough. My brother's an omega, and I only hope that if he ever found himself in a similar situation, someone would step in to help ." Alice tilted her head and looked at him thoughtfully. 

"So, not all alpha's are bastards, good to know. I'll see you around, Derek." He watched her walk across the lobby and into an elevator, as he considered her words. He knew atleast one omega who'd vehemently disagree with that statement. 

Derek sighed, and made his way back to the hotel entrance, before checking his phone. Dammit! Still no response from Kate. He slid into his car and finally came to a decision as he started the engine. 

Fuck it. Something wasn't right, and he had to make sure Kate was alright, he thought to himself as he drove towards her apartment. 

 

*********************

 

Victoria smiled at her fellow Senators and sat down beside Senator Christopher Hyland, who turned and gave her a conspiratorial wink. 

"Ready, Victoria?" he asked as the assembly settled and prepared for the vote ahead. She looked around the room, and spotted each and every one of the faces of the Senators who'd gladly accepted 'donations' in return for their votes. 

"Yes, I'm ready." Christopher patted her shoulder and turned to face the presiding officer. 

"Next bill on the floor, bill 11637-B; The Omega Reclamation Bill. Does anyone wish to speak before the vote?" Victoria watched the presiding officer fix his sweeping gaze on the far side of the room, before he said "I yield the floor to Senator Mallory."

Victoria snapped her head to the left and saw Susan Mallory stand from her seat. What the hell was going on? She hadn't heard any whispers about a possible filibuster. Senator Mallory thanked the presiding officer and cleared her throat. As the woman began blathering on about omega rights and injustice, Victoria noticed three of Senator Mallory's colleagues seated closely around her; all three of whom were prominent voices in the pro-omega camp. She gritted her teeth as she noticed the Senator shuffled a thick pile of papers in front of her; the fucking hippie obviously intended to speak at length. She turned to Christopher, and furiously asked him if he'd known about this. The man shook his head and told her to remain calm, that they'd get to the vote soon enough. She almost slapped the man. 

Victoria quietly left the chamber and strode to her offices. She barked at her secretary to get her father in law on the phone, and slammed the door behind her. When the phone rung a moment later, she snatched it from its cradle and said "we have a problem". 

 

************************

 

Stiles watched the TV mounted on the wall as his feet pounded on the treadmill. Peter had left early this morning in the hopes of delaying the upcoming vote, and he hoped that the man had been successful in his quest, otherwise life was about to drastically change for the millions of omegas living in California. And not in a good way. 

The TV screen showed images of crowds of people chanting and yelling outside the State building, holding flags and placards bearing Victoria Argent's name. A dark haired reporter explained that the crowds had congregated in a show of support for the proposed Omega Reclamation Bill. 

"The people here are very passionate about the bill, Mark, and many hail Senator Argent as a hero for what they see as a restoration of balance. Obviously, not everyone is as pleased with Senator Argent as the people around me, and hundreds of omegas and omega rights groups are protesting against the new bill, claiming that this bill would deny omega's basic human rights. The vote is taking place as we speak, and the people around me are waiting for the outcome with bated breath. Back to you Mark." 

Stiles pressed a button on the display to increase the speed of the treadmill, and ran until his lungs burned and the sound of the TV was drowned out by his pounding heart. 

 

***********************

 

William looked down at his phone and saw another message from Peter. He ignored it, and turned back to the woman sat in front of him. Her dark eyes were troubled as she flipped open his file, and he waited in silence as she read through the reports. 

"William...it's not good. I'm so sorry... the mass we found...it's malignant." 

He took a deep breath and absorbed the news as he thought of his beautiful wife. 

"How long?" 

Melissa swallowed and folded her fidgeting hands atop the desk. He smiled as he recognised the nervous tick; not long then. 

"William, you have options. Just let me check you in, we can start treatment immediately." He imagined the remaining years of his life being spent undergoing invasive and painful treatments as he lost his hair, and his body slowly deteriorated. That was not the future he'd envisioned for his twilight years. 

"No, I'm not going anywhere. Can you keep me comfortable?" 

"William please, I urge you -" He shook his head and repeated his question. Melissa palmed her face and stared at him wide eyed for a moment, before finally nodding. 

"You tell no one Melissa, understand? No one." 

 

TBC..........


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All is not well for Peter and Derek checks on Kate....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, hang on tight for the next few chapters; turbulence ahead.
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)
> 
> P.S. Thank you for the kudos and comments!

They'd been watching the office for hours and were on the verge of telling the boss that nothing of particular importance was happening, when they finally hit pay dirt. The tall, blue eyed man pulled up to the office in a little black sports car, and walked quickly through the doors with a phone clamped to his ear. They took a few pictures of the man as he hurried into the offices, sent the images to the boss, and waited for further instruction. They didn't have to wait long; two minutes later, the phone bleeped with an incoming message. 

'Pick him up. But be careful.' 

They readied themselves for the pick up and waited for the man to exit the building. When he finally emerged 40 minutes later, the smallest of them exited the van with a ripped shirt and a streak of fake blood on his cheek, and stumbled over to the man. 

"Help me! Oh god....they took my boy! Somebody...please, help me...my god they took my boy!" 

The man turned at their colleague's screaming voice and caught the stumbling man in his arms. 

"What happened? Hey, what's wrong?" the man asked, looking troubled. Their colleague clutched at the man's arms and pointed to the street behind him. 

"Help me, they were just behind me...some of those protesters took my boy...he's only 12! Please, he's an omega, help me!" The man looked beyond their colleague to the busy street behind, and nodded. 

"Ok, ok, show me where they took him. I'll call the police, hopefully the bastards actually turn up. Come on." Their colleague cried fake tears as he thanked the man, and led him to a deserted side street. They quietly pulled up at the mouth of the street, and waited for their colleague to incapacite the man. 

The man looked around the empty street in confusion, and as he turned his head, their colleague stepped up behind him and stuck the hypodermic needle in his neck. The man spun around and punched their colleague in the jaw, before shakily pulling out the needle and kicking it to the curb. The man stumbled and leaned against a dirty wall to steady himself. They quickly drove up the street and pulled open the doors of the van. The man looked at them in horror and tried to run, but the tranquiliser had begun to take affect, and he fell to the ground. 

"No...stop...stop..." 

They quieted the man, lifted him into the van, and shut the doors. As he lay unconscious on the floor of the van, they sent a message to the boss, and drove off in the direction of the warehouse. 

'Target acquired. ETA 20 minutes'

 

***********************

 

Derek's eyes widened in surprise when Kate opened the door in a tiny plaid skirt, a tight white shirt that cut off just below her breasts, with a lollipop in her mouth and her hair plaited into two cutesy pigtails. What. The. Fuck?

Kate scowled at him, her eyebrows forming a cartoonishly deep 'V', and removed the lollipop from her mouth.

"I told you not to come back here. Fuck off Derek, I'm busy" she spat contemptuously as she stepped back into the apartment, and began to close the door. The shock of seeing her in a schoolgirl costume had finally worn off, and he slapped his hand to the door to keep her from closing it. She cursed at him repeatedly but finally let go of the door and sighed.  
"What do you want Derek?" She sounded weary, and he studied her with growing concern. 

"Kate, I wanted to apologise for...breaking things off without talking to you. I've been kind of fucked up lately, and...I'm sorry." 

She tapped her foot on the ground impatiently and checked her phone. 

"Is that it? Great, I forgive you. Now get lost." She started to close the door again, but he jammed his foot in the doorway, and stepped forward. Kate huffed in annoyance. 

"What the fuck Derek? Get o-" 

He touched her hand gently and looked into the heavily made up eyes. "Kate...is everything ok? We might not be what we were, but...we were friends once, right? Please, as your friend, I'm asking...are you ok?" 

He watched as her eyes darken and her face grew pale under the makeup. "Kate?" 

He heard footsteps behind him and glanced back to see the older man that he'd caught her with; Robert... Richard, something with an R. The man held his coat in one hand, and an expensive briefcase in the other. He looked between Kate and Derek, and asked if he'd interrupted something. Kate stepped out into the hallway and smiled seductively at the man. 

"Of course not Richard. Derek was just returning a few things, and now he's leaving. Right, Derek?" she asked, turning to him with a furious expression on her painted face. He wondered what would happen if he said no. If he demanded an explanation, while glaring at the much, much, older alpha. Kate's nostrils flared as she grew angrier, and she stepped toward him and curled her hand around his wrist. 

"Right, Derek?" she seethed through gritted teeth, while glancing back at the man with a smile. He winced as she dug her nails into the skin of his wrist. Kate wasn't going to speak to him now. Whatever she had been about to say, had been forgotten. He looked at Kate and narrowed his eyes, but nodded when he saw the flash of anger in her eyes. 

"Uh, yeah. I'm, er... sorry for disturbing you." Kate nodded her goodbye, dragged the man into the apartment, and slammed the door on his face. He could hear her high pitched giggling through the door, and quickly made his way to the elevator. What the hell was going on?

 

***********************

 

Stiles chewed his lip as he paced the length of the room. The documents Peter had asked for over the phone three hours ago, lay in a neat pile on the coffee table. Three hours. It had been three hours. The route from Senator Mallory's offices to Peter's house shouldn't have taken longer than 40 mintues, so where the hell was he? 

Stiles sat down on the arm of the sofa and nervously tapped his fingers on his thigh. The cell phone Peter had purchased him sat quietly on the coffee table beside the stack of papers. As the seconds ticked by, he considered his options and finally came to a decision. He picked up the phone and called the only person who could help. 

"Mr. Hale, it's Stiles. It's about Peter...."

 

************************

 

Peter groaned in pain as he blinked open his eyes. What the hell had happened? His head felt wooly and heavy, and the muscles of his arms ached. A bright white light hit his sensitive eyes and he snapped them shut to stop the stinging pain. What the hell was going on? 

Peter tried to lift his hand to rub at his stinging eyes, but found that he was unable to move his arms. What the fuck? Panic flooded him as he struggled to free his hands from some kind of binding. The panic quickly turned to fear when he heard a rasping chuckle come from behind him. 

"I would stop that if I were you, boy; you wouldn't want to break or dislocate anything." 

His struggling ceased, and ice filled his veins as he realised who was behind him. Flashes of the flustered, bloody omega, screaming for his son came back to him, and he hung his head in despair. A fucking set up, and he'd fallen for it. 

"I hope you didn't scratch my car, Gérard. I'll be most displeased, it's a classic" he said, infusing his voice with as much loathing as was possible. The old man stepped around the chair he'd been bound to, and shook his head. 

"Always such a smart mouth, Peter. One would think you'd be weary of showing such disrespect...given your current predicament" said Gérard as he pulled up a chair and sat directly in front of him. 

Peter clenched his jaw and met the old man's gaze with fiery eyes. "My predicament? You mean the one in which you kidnap me, inject me with dubious substances, and fucking tie me to this chair. That fucking predicament?" he shouted as he struggled to loosen the ties binding his hands and feet. 

Gérard crossed his legs and waited patiently until he stopped wrestling with the ties. His chest heaved from exertion, and despite the almost arctic temperature of the room he was in, rivulets of sweat rolled down his back.

"I knew it was you, boy. As soon as I received the call from Victoria...I just knew you'd been the one to arrange the filibuster. Very impressive...for a trou. But, nothings going to come of it Peter, because you're not going anywhere until my bill becomes law. By the time I let you leave this place, your kind will have been returned to where they belong; on their backs, waiting to serve their betters. Tell me, was it worth it?" 

Peter felt the ice in his veins melt away as a fiery rage ripped through his body. Gérard arched a brow and waited for his answer. 

"Fuck. You." Peter watched the man's expression change to one of amusement, before he stood up, and gestured to someone at the back of the room. 

"You should watch that mouth of yours Peter, I wouldn't want to keep the promise I made to you 20 years ago." 

Peter paled as a vivid memory of a younger Gérard smirking at him as he threatened him, flashed before his eyes. His body trembled as bile hit the back of his throat. Gérard smiled and patted his cheek as he left the room. "There's a good boy." 

Peter hissed as he felt a needle pierce his neck. He called for his father as his vision swam and his eyes began to close. 

"Dad...help me..."

 

*************************

 

William swallowed two large pills and waited for the chief of police to return his call. Peter hadn't checked in in 7 hours, and though there was no proof that anything untoward had happened to his son, he felt uneasy. Peter may be looking into other avenues to prevent the bill from passing for all he knew, but his son would've called by now if that were the case. 

The phone rang 15 minutes later. The chief of police informed him that there was no sign of Peter being hurt, that he'd taken his car, and that he had removed $1000 from his checking account late this afternoon.  
"What are you trying to say?" William asked in a cold voice. 

"Mr. Hale, with all due respect, your son is an adult with the means to go anywhere he wishes...perhaps he just took a vacation? He's a young, handsome omega, it is highly likely that he simply took off for a few days. I underst-" 

William slammed the phone down and tried to reign in his fury. His son was out there somewhere, and he would go to hell and back to find him. 

 

TBC.....


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone unexpected helps in the search for Peter...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, apologies for the late update. I hope you enjoy the latest chapter. Again, thank you for your kudos and kind comments - which I promise I will try and respond to soon! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Twenty eighty year old Danny Mahealani tapped away at the keyboard quietly as he listened to the Chief bullshit William Hale about the departments 'investigation' into Peter Hale. 

"Mr. Hale, with all due respect, your son is an adult with the means to go anywhere he wishes...perhaps he just took a vacation? He's a young, handsome omega, it is highly likely that he simply took off for a few days. I underst- hello? Mr. Hale? Hello?" The Chief laughed as he returned the phone to its cradle and looked at him, shaking his head. 

"Rich folk, huh?" he asked in amusement, before walking around the desk. "So, you almost done here? I have a meeting to get to." 

"Almost, Sir. I just need another ten minutes to reboot the system, and you should be ready to go." The Chief clapped him on the shoulder and told him to come and find him when he was done. Danny nodded and turned back to the computer as the Chief exited the office. As soon as the man left, he tapped a few keys on the computer and pulled up the traffic camera logs from earlier this evening. 

A few hours ago, the Chief had requested that all footage from south of Wiltshire be sent to him immediately. He hadn't known what was more surprising; that the Chief had asked for all copies ("every single copy Mahealani, do you understand?") of the footage to be sent to him asap, or that the Chief had come into the office at ten o'clock at night in his sweats. The entire thing had been unusual enough that Danny, being the inquisitive IT guy/hacker-by-night that he was, had copied the footage before handing the files over. After the Chief had personally come to collect the footage and left with a thanks and a smile, he'd quickly closed and locked the door to his little IT office, and combed through the footage. 

He'd almost convinced himself that the Chief was either really bored or just plain weird after watching hours of boring traffic camera footage. But then he'd seen it; at around five pm on Hinton Street, a man being dragged into a dark van. He'd followed the progress of the van, and paused when he saw a slender man exit the van and get into a black sports car that had been parked on main street. After cross checking the license plate numbers of both vehicles against DMV records, he'd been unable to verify who owned the van, but had been able to discover who the sports car was registered to. Peter Hale. He'd watched the footage once more, before quickly pocketing the flash drive he'd copied the files to. 

When he'd been called in by the Chief two hours later, he'd thought it might have been to assist with the sifting of the traffic camera footage, but the Chief had merely pointed him in the direction of his computer and told him to 'fix the damn thing'. Which was why he'd been in the Chief's office when he made the call to William Hale, and lied about Peter Hale's whereabouts. 

He quickly and quietly rummaged around the desk and finally found the flash drive he'd given to the Chief a few hours ago. Once he connected the flash drive to the computer, he tapped on the keyboard to pull up the traffic camera footage for Hinton Street, and watched as the footage cut from 5 pm straight to 5.10 pm. The Chief had erased ten minutes worth of footage, more specifically, the ten minutes of footage that showed Peter Hale being manhandled into a van. 

"God dammit Elaine, stop barking at me, I'll be home in a few hours!" 

The Chief stood in the doorway to his office, yelling into his phone. Danny emailed the amended video footage to his personal email account and quickly disconnected the flash drive, before returning it to its original place in the drawer. 

"Mahealani, you done?" He erased his digital tracks with a few key strokes and nodded as the computer restarted. 

"Finished Sir, you're good to go." The Chief thanked him and told him to get back to work. Danny swiftly exited the Chief's office and walked straight out of the station. It was time someone told William Hale the truth about his son. 

 

************************

 

Chris watched the televised proceedings with barely concealed amusement. It was nearing two in the morning, but it didn't look as though the ragtag group of Senators were going to stop filibustering any time soon. He could just image the look on Victoria's face as she was forced to sit through hour after hour of speeches regarding omega rights, and laughed loudly in the dark room as he sipped at his beer. His laughter quieted when he heard a key turn in the front door. 

His father had been gone for hours, and though he didn't really give a shit about the old man's comings and goings, he was surprised that he hadn't remained at home to watch the vote; invested as he was in the outcome. Chris finished the rest of his beer, and walked to the hallway, where he saw his father standing in the foyer, speaking quietly on the phone. 

"Keep administering the drug, we shouldn't have to wait too much longer." 

Chris frowned at he listened to his father's conversation. The old man may own a pharmaceutical company, but it had been a long, long time since he'd been involved in any clinical tests or trials. These days, his father simply sat back enjoying his wealth, and delegated the actual running of the company to the board.  
"Don't touch him. Not yet, anyway."

The menace in his father's voice made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, but he listened quietly as the old man finished his conversion with an amused huff. His father finally spotted him in the darkened entryway to the lounge, as he pocketed his phone and turned around. 

"Christopher, what are you still doing up?" he asked, removing his jacket. 

Chris shrugged and stepped forward, but froze as he smelled a sweet honeyed fragrance in the air. He knew that scent; remembered being addicted to it, and spending hours mapping out a lightly muscled body with his tongue, chasing the taste of it. Peter. 

His father waited on his response with raised eyebrows. He mumbled something about the vote as Peter's scent filled the air in the foyer. His father nodded and told him not to worry, that the bill would pass in a matter of hours. Chris swallowed and nodded, before asking his father where he'd been all evening. 

"Just taking care of some loose ends; we wouldn't want any..." his father looked him straight in the eye and smirked "...obstacles to hider the passing of the bill. We've worked too hard for it all to come to nothing." 

His father took one last look at him, bade him good night, and walked up the staircase to the master bedroom. Chris waited until he heard the old man close his bedroom door, then picked up his keys and walked out of the house, the scent of honey still fresh on his tongue.

 

************************

The moon was shining brightly in muddy grey sky when William finally returned home, exhausted and in pain. He'd looked everywhere for his son, for hours, but hadn't been able to find a trace of Peter anywhere in the city. Fear lurked in the back of his mind, just waiting to pounce and rip the last pieces of his sanity to shreds, but he beat it back and focused on his son. Now was not the time to fall apart, he told himself. 

Burning pain shot across his chest as he took a deep racking breath and sighed. He tightened his hold on the steering wheel and clenched his eyes shut as he waited for the pain to pass. When he finally opened his eyes, black spots danced in his vision and his stomach churned. William clicked the button on his key fob to open the gate to his home, and waited in silence for the gates to slowly open. 

A sudden sharp knock on the passenger side window almost gave him a heart attack. Turning to the right, he saw a young, handsome man waving at him through the glass. William caught his breath and waved the man away. The man shook his head and said "I have some information about your son, Mr. Hale." 

William froze at the man's words as the fear lurking at the back of his mind inched closer. 

"Where is he?" he rasped, already terrified of the answer. The man set his jaw and motioned for him to open the car door. He hesitated for all of a moment, before an image of Peter flashed before his eyes. A moment later, the young man sat beside him as he drove down the drive to the house. William pulled up in front of the house, switched off the car, and turned to face the young man. 

"Where is he?" he repeated, in a stronger voice. The young man removed a flash drive from his pocket and handed it to him. He looked at the small piece of plastic in confusion. 

"What is this?" 

The man sighed and scrubbed a hand through his short, black hair. "Mr. Hale, my name is Daniel Mahealani, and I work with Beacon Hills PD as an IT analyst, and that..." he gestured to the flash drive "...is traffic camera footage from yesterday evening showing your son being abducted. I'm not sure where exactly the men who abducted him, took him...but I have narrowed it down to the old waterfront warehouse district. The van he was abducted in, stopped along the west perimeter." 

He stared at the young man - Daniel in shock and disbelief. "I...I don't understand. I spoke with your Chief, why the hel-"

"Mr. Hale, I know what he told you, and it's all bullshit. He asked me for all available copies of video footage from the street where your son was abducted, and then he erased the ten minutes of the footage that showed the abduction. In your hand, is the original, untouched footage. I suggest you go find your son Mr. Hale, he's been missing for over 12 hours, and the men in the video? They don't exactly look like the friendly type." 

Daniel moved to open the car door but paused as he whispered "thank you." 

Daniel glanced back at him and appeared to carefully consider his words before speaking. "My sister spent her last few months at the Omega Health and Wellness Centre, Mr. Hale, and your son and his staff treated her better in those last 4... agonising months...than she was treated in her previous 17 years by so called 'medical professionals'. So, believe me, Mr. Hale, your thanks are not necessary. Good luck, I hope you find him." With that, Daniel exited the car and jogged down the drive way to the gates. 

William closed his palm around the flash drive and called the police. 

"Hello? Yes, I'd like to report the presence of a bomb. Where? Somewhere along the western perimeter of the waterfront warehouse district. Hurry." He terminated the call before the operator could ask anymore questions, and started the engine of the car. 

I'm coming son, hold on.

 

**********************

 

Peter groaned in pain as another needle was plunged into his neck. Was it the eighth or ninth time he'd felt that pain? His head pounded as his insides burned with a scorching heat. Fuck, why was it so hot? His body was drenched in sweat, even though the suit jacket he'd been wearing had been ripped from his body minutes ago....wait...or was it hours ago? Time seemed an elusive concept to him as he rolled his head to the side and stared at the windowless, concrete walls. 

A bead of sweat rolled from his scalp into his eyes and he gasped at the stinging sensation it caused. Fuck! Why was it so hot?! His shirt clung to his sweat slicked back and his slacks scratched at his heated legs. Another wave of heat crashed over him, and he screamed in pain as he felt the seat of his slacks dampen. 

Pure, unadulterated terror ripped through the haze of pain and heat, as his mind finally understood what was happening. Fuck! 

"Fuck me! I forgot how good they smell!" yelled a deep voice from behind him, in an amused tone. 

No...God...Dad, help me. 

 

TBC.......


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Will Chris and William locate Peter in time?....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy. Again, thank you so much for all your kudos and kind comments - which I promise I'm reading, and will respond to when I can. You guys are amazing, especially given that STEREK hasn't really made a significant appearance...yet ;-)
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Derek stared at the omega's blood shot eyes and dishevelled state, and took a step back. 

"What are you doing here? Where's Peter?" 

Stiles eyes widened and his jaw dropped at the question. He furrowed his brow in confusion; why was Stiles looking at him like that? He knew it was ridiculously early, but, hey, Peter was his uncle and if he wanted to come and see him at six o'clock in the morning, then that really wasn't any of the kid's business. 

"Look, I'm just here to see Peter, I don't want -" he stopped speaking abruptly as Stiles laughed derisively. What the fuck had he done now? 

"You fucking asshole, Peter's not here. Didn't you hear? He's been missing since last night. Oh...maybe you were too busy molesting unsuspecting omega's to notice..."

He tuned out the rest of the impassioned rant and absorbed what the kid had just told him. Peter was missing? Why hadn't anybody told him?!? He frowned and recalled that the rest of the Hale clan was slumbering peacefully at home. Perhaps no one knew? Which seemed both horrifying and increasingly likely. But where the hell could Peter possibly be? He tried to remember the last time he'd seen his uncle; it had to have been a couple of days ago atleast. Derek tried to think of all the places his uncle could possibly be, and turned back to his car as he pulled out his phone. He and Peter may have their problems, but he was family, and Derek loved the man. 

"Hey, Boyd? D'you mind meeting me at that old bar on W-" A bony hand clamped around his forearm with surprising strength and spun him around. Stiles stood before him; face flushed, fists clenched, and eyes blazing. 

"You cold fucking bastard. I tell you your uncle's missing, and the first thing you do is go to a bar?!? I knew you were a piece of shit the first time you laid your hands on me...thanks for confirming it, asshole" Stiles hissed scathingly. Derek watched the boy turn away with a disdain filled glare, and felt anger and indignation bubble up inside him. 

"Derek? Derek! Shit, man, don't do anything stupid, are you listening to me? DEREK!" He could hear Boyd's tinny voice yelling through the phone, but paid it no mind, as he grabbed the omega's arm and slammed him against a wall. Stiles lifted his chin and stared at him defiantly, with hate filled eyes. Ignoring Boyd's repeated calls through the phone, he stepped forward and leaned his face down close to the omega. 

"You think you know everything, don't you? You've been here what? A couple of months, and you think you understand my family? Understand me? Let me tell you something, Stiles..." he leaned in even closer to the antagonistic omega "...you don't know shit. About me or my family. You're right, I was going to a bar; an old pub that Peter used to hang out in, figured I'd see if he was there, then check out a few of his old haunts. Peter's my family, kid, my blood, and if I have to? I'll rip this city apart to find him. So, yeah I might be a piece of shit, but don't ever question this piece of shit's loyalty to his family. Understood?" 

Stiles clenched his jaw, and stared silently at him. Vexed, Derek pulled away from the omega and strode to his car without looking back. He confirmed a meet up point with Boyd, and pulled away from his uncle's home. In the rear view mirror he could see Stiles standing at the door, with his arms crossed across his chest, watching him drive away. 

 

************************

Peter felt large, calloused hands press down on his heated, sensitive skin, and grunted. He could feel his body reacting to the unwanted touch, and shuddered. The seat of his slacks was by now completely soaked through, and even he could smell the heady scent of his heat. The hands moved from his shoulders to his back, and despite the arching of his heat crazed body, he felt bile hit the back of his throat. 

"Get the fuck off him. Now Max! You heard what Mr. Argent said." 

Peter barely heard the reprimand, as the calloused hands left his back, and his traitorous body trembled in need. He almost laughed in relief when he felt the sharp sting of another needle, already craving the oblivion that the drugs provided. Fuck these bastards, he thought, as his eyes fluttered close again. 

 

************************

 

"Ok, ok, I'm coming! Chill the he-woah, what the fuck?!?" Chris pushed past the tanned pretty boy from the other night, and scanned the ground floor, before running up the stairs. He could hear the pretty boy yelling as he ran up the stairs behind him, but ignored him and searched the upper levels of the house. After five minutes of fruitless searching, he grabbed pretty boy's collar and asked "where is he?" 

Pretty boy struggled to push him off, but Chris simply yanked him closer. "I'm not going to ask you again. Where. Is. Peter?" 

Pretty boy looked at him like he was crazy and told him that he didn't know, and that Peter hadn't come 'home' last night. Chris felt fear run through him as pieces of this fucked up puzzle began to fall into place. He released the man with trembling hands, and ran out of the house to his car. As he sat in the cool interior of the car, the realisation of what had happened to Peter made him his palms sweat and stick to the leather on the steering wheel. 

"FUCK! FUCK!" he yelled, violently banging his hands against the wheel. His father had Peter...Christ...he'd had Peter for hours. Chris tried to calm his ragged breathing and his pounding heart, as he attempted to formulate some sort of plan to find Peter. His father would never tell him; the old bastard would probably love to watch him squirm, and his father's security detail wouldn't say anything either. 

Tears clouded his vision as fear played havoc with his mind, and conjured images of a broken, ruined Peter, lying dead and forgotten. No. No. Peter wasn't dead. He'd know...he'd fucking know if Peter was dead. Roughly wiping a hand across his eyes, he started the car and pulled out of the paved drive with a steely resolve. His father's security detail was about to get a visit from one pissed off alpha, and they'd tell him where Peter was being held...one way or another.

He'd find Peter, if it was the last thing he did. 

 

**************************

Peter rolled his heavy head, first to the right, then to the left. The room around him was empty and dark, save for a flickering red light bulb fixed above the chair he was bound to. He shuddered as a gust of wind hit his sweat drenched body, and moaned as another scorching wave of need crashed over him. Oh...god...please make it stop.

He writhed in the chair, and felt shame flood through him, as the friction caused his slick to further wet the seat of his slacks. Peter gritted his teeth and stilled his body; this was his body, and he'd be damned if he let the old bastard control it. 

 

*************************

 

The shrieking of the police sirens shattered the silence of the early morning, and William spotted the flashing blue lights of four police vehicles as he exited his vehicle. He watched two men exit a police van wearing bomb proof armour, before being closely followed by dozens of uniformed police officers, all wielding guns. 

William summoned every last ounce of his strength and walked over to the large group of police officers. The tall, grey haired man delivering some sort of briefing to the men, turned around as he heard his approach and frowned. 

"Excuse me, Sir, but you'll have to evacuate the area; police business. Henderson? Escort the man out of the area" the man said tersely, before beckoning a young, blonde officer. The blonde police officer; Henderson he presumed, stepped out of the huddle of men and moved to escort him away. William ignored the blonde and pushed past him to the grey haired officer, who was clearly in charge of the operation. 

The officer in charge had clearly lost his patience with William, and opened his mouth to no doubt deliver a sharp rebuke. William raised a hand to silence the man, and in his most authoritative alpha voice said "there is no bomb. My son's being held in one of these warehouses, and I expect your officers to locate him in the next ten minutes." 

The man turned an alarming shade of puce and spluttered "you called in a fake bomb threat? Is this some kind of fucking joke t-"

William stepped into the man's space and stared directly into his eyes. "No. This is not a joke. Your Chief of Police lied to me. And if I find out that my son has been hurt in any way because of that lie....I will crush your little department and everyone in it. Do you understand, Officer?" The man gulped and nodded, then instructed the men to begin systematically searching the warehouses. 

 

**************************

 

His knuckles were covered in blood by the time one of his father's men finally broke and told him Peter's location. Chris wiped the blood from his hands and quickly made his way back to his car. His father's goon had told him that Peter was being kept at the company warehouse over in waterfront; he pressed his foot to the gas and drove down the highway like a mad man in the direction of the warehouse district. 

 

************************

 

Peter begged the man behind him to stop as he felt yet another needle piecing his skin. 

"Hurry up! Come on, get him in the van, now!!" yelled a male voice behind him. Peter felt the tight bindings around his hands and ankles being cut away, and almost sobbed in pain, as the blood rushed back to his previously restrained limbs. Next, a strong pair of arms lifted him off the chair, and flung him over a muscular shoulder. Peter hung limply over the thick shoulder, his eyes already closing, as the drugs took affect. 

As he was dumped onto a cold, hard floor, he heard a loud banging sound followed by hundreds of voices screaming and yelling. Through the drugged haze and over the cacophony of voices, he heard his father's voice, and smiled. 

"PETER!"

 

*************************

 

William waited for the police officers to break down the door, before pushing past the armed officers, and shouting his son's name. He could smell his son's scent all over the property, and felt fear paralyse him as he realised what that meant. Across the far end of the warehouse, he spotted a man in dark clothing running towards an open door, and without even thinking, sprinted after him. The man glanced back at him as he reached the door, and slammed it shut behind him. William pushed his aged body to run faster, but heard the click here of a lock as he finally reached the door. 

He pounded closes fists on the metal door, his chest heaving, and his shirt already damp. He heard the officers running out of the building behind him, and quickly followed. 

 

**************************

 

The tyres of his car screeched loudly as he stopped behind his father's warehouse. Chris spotted three men scrambling into a dark van at the rear of the warehouse, and clenched his jaw. Peter's scent was thick in the air, and somehow...he just knew that the omega was in that van. 

The big, stocky man in the drivers seat of the van, started its engine as he looked around in a panic. Chris tightened his grip on the steering wheel, and pressed his foot to the gas. He drove forward at high speed and gritted his teeth just before his car hit the front of the van, and caused it to skid across the asphalt. His last thought as his neck snapped back at the impact was that his father would not take Peter from him a second time, not today.

 

TBC.........


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William prays for his son's life and Derek tries to get to Peter....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy the latest chapter - fyi this chapter contains some serious violence that some may find triggering, so be warned. 
> 
> That said, thank you for your kind comments and kudos - I apologise for not responding to your comments but promise to try and get back to all of you when I can :-) 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"We're ready, Mr.Hale." 

William took one final look at the overturned car, surrounded by firemen in dark uniforms, and turned back to the paramedic. By some miracle, his son had survived the crash, and was now strapped to a bed waiting to be taken to the hospital. He stepped up into the back of the ambulance and watched the paramedics work on Peter's broken, bloody body, as machines beeped and hummed around him. He didn't understand the medical jargon the two beta medics were throwing at one another, and the frustration of not being able to help his son, made him even angrier than he already was. 

The strong scent of honey still clung to his son's skin and clothes, and the idea of what could have happened to Peter in the 13 or so hours he'd been missing, struck fear into his heart. This was his son; and he'd failed to protect him. William hung his head in his hands and tried to ignore the blood that stained his shirt as he did something he hadn't done since his wife died; he prayed. 

 

*************************

 

Officer Micheal Travis flicked the butt of his cigarette to the ground, before crushing it with his foot. He leaned against a squad car, and watched the firemen try to cut Chris Argent out of the upended car. They'd been at it for an hour, and looked close to getting the poor bastard out of the twisted wreck. Micheal sighed and reached for another cigarette; Peter Hale had looked like death warmed up when they'd finally extracted him from the back of the van, and the look on William Hale's face when he saw his son had been terrifying. William Hale had promised to destroy them all, and he had little doubt that the alpha would follow through with his threat. He hoped the Chief had an umbrella handy, because the shit storm that was brewing was going to drench them all.

"Sir?" 

He turned to see Henderson looking at him worridly.

"What is it, Henderson?"

"Sir, officers Tuft and Velazquez are asking that you return to the station. One of the suspects made an...interesting statement." 

The three men from the van, who they suspected of orchestrating the abduction, had escaped with little more than cuts and bruises, and were now in police custody. He'd directed his best officers to conduct the interviewing. Micheal noted the hesitation in the kid's voice and frowned. 

"Don't be fucking coy Henderson, what did he say?" 

The kid apologised, cleared his throat, and said "the suspect stated that they were paid to abduct Mr. Hale by Gérard Argent, Sir." 

Gérard Argent? Gérard fucking Argent? The pharmaceutical mogul and father in law to Senator Victoria Argent? The same Gérard Argent that played golf with the Chief of police every weekend? Shit, this day was just getting better and better, he thought, as he rubbed his temples, where a painful throbbing had started up. He extinguished his cigarette and instructed Henderson to stay on the scene, before getting into a squad car and driving to the station. 

 

************************

 

Derek watched Boyd talking with the police officers with growing frustration; they'd been sitting in traffic for twenty mintues, and now the police were saying that they were cordoning off the road, and that they'd have to turn around. He'd almost punched the officer in his pudgy face, but Boyd had quickly grabbed his arm and calmly taken control of the situation. 

He could hear the officer telling Boyd that hundreds of demonstrators had flooded into main street, and that it was 'simply impossible' for them to drive through the crowds. Derek exited the car and walked to the police barriers to see a dozens of people with signs in their hands marching toward main street. He rubbed his tired eyes as he tried to think of another route to get to the Venetian; the Venetian was his uncle's favourite hotel/spa, and after two hours of fruitless searching and dozens of dead end phone calls, he prayed he'd find Peter at the hotel. 

Ring. Ring. Ring. 

Derek pulled his phone out of his jacket pocket and quickly swiped to answer the call when he saw his grandfather's name flash across the screen. 

"Hello?"

"Derek, I've got him, we found Peter. We're at the hospital." 

His grandfather sounded upset and exhausted, and he held the phone tightly as he imagined the worst. Before he could ask anything though, his grandfather told him to get to the hospital as soon as possible and terminated the call. The hospital was five mintues away, and Derek quickly realised that it would be quicker to simply walk through the crowds on main street than to turn around and drive around them. Mind made up, he jumped over the barriers and shouted across to Boyd to tell him to meet him at the hospital. Boyd nodded and turned back to the car, as the pudgy police officer yelled at him for jumping over the police barrier. Derek ignored him and ran in the direction of the hospital. 

The pudgy cop hadn't been bullshitting, the crowd of protesters on main street was huge, and, he realised, consisted primarily of onegas. Shit! Perhaps I should have driven to the hospital, he thought, as he swept his gaze across the dense crowd of people. He slowed as he neared the back of the crowd, and as politely as he could, pushed his way through the angry throngs of omegas. Many of the men and women around him wore black shirts with the letters SAOR printed across them in orange, and held signs condemning the new omega bill. The anger of the crowd was palpable, and Derek winced as he imagined what the crowd would do if they knew whose son he was. 

He quickened his pace through the crowd, but stumbled when a large man to his left knocked into him accidentally. Unable to steady himself in time, he grunted as he landed roughly on his hands and knees on the asphalt. He could feel the blood oozing from the cuts on his knees, but ignored it and tried to get back on his feet. A small pair of hands grabbed his arm and helped him up, and Derek mumbled his thanks to the good samaritan as he dusted himself off. 

"Derek?" 

Alice; the maid from the hotel, stood before him, looking just as shocked as he felt. 

"Alice? What are you doing here?" he asked. Alice pulled him to a less crowded area and handed him a bottle of water to clean the blood and dirt from his hands, before answering his question.

"I'm here to protest the new omega bill. I have to say Derek, I'm surprised to see you here, given your family's...involvement with it." 

Derek wiped his hands dry on his jeans and said "to be honest Alice, I don't really know much about the details of the bill. I was actually just cutting through main street to get to the hospital...uh...sorry." The blonde smiled sadly but told him not to worry about it. 

What the hell was in this damn bill that was eliciting such a negative reaction in all these people; his father, his uncle, and now Alice. Derek looked at the hundreds of disgruntled omegas that surrounded him, waving their signs, and vowed to read the bill and assess the source of their grievances himself. After all, there were many allegations that could be levied at his mother, but he just couldn't believe that she'd be...stupid or cruel enough to help champion a cause that would put Cam or Peter, or any omega at serious risk of harm. 

He handed the bottle back to Alice and was about to thank her for her help, when a deep voice was heard booming through a megaphone. 

"GET BACK IN THE WHORE HOUSES, WHERE YOU BELONG! THE TRUE HOMES OF THE TROU!" 

He watched the crowd around him turn as one in the direction of the jeering voice coming from the end of the street. Derek looked back and saw a group of about 40 men holding, what appeared to be, a counter protest of some sort. The men held aloft large photographs depicting infamous omega brothels around the country with the slogan 'an omega's trou calling' printed underneath. The protestors around him yelled and shouted abusive language at the men as they started to loudly chant the slogan through multiple megaphones, and Derek felt the mood of the crowd turn from anger to rage. The hostility only increased when a line of police officers in riot gear created a human shield around the small group of men, and pushed back the advancing crowd. 

Alice clutched his arm and curled in close to him as she was pushed and shoved by the furious protestors. Derek pulled the blonde to his chest and pushed through the crowd with his head down. 

"BACK! GET BACK NOW!" he heard the officers yelling as the protestors railed against their plastic shields. Despite the rage of the crowd, or perhaps because of it, the group of men jeered even louder and spewed even more disgusting filth through their megaphones. He winced in pain as body after body shoved and pushed against him, trying to reach the line of police officers behind him. 

The screams, and shouts, and din of the crowd was suddenly replaced by an eerie silence as the sound of a gunshot rang through the crowd followed by the sound of a screaming woman. The crowd around him froze as someone in the distance shouted "she's dead!". 

BANG. BANG. BANG. BANG. 

The shots rang out one after the other in quick succession followed by scream after pained scream. Bodies fell to the ground one by one around him as the crowd finally unfroze and scrambled to get away from the indiscriminate assassin. Derek held Alice tightly against him and ran toward a parked truck, hoping to find cover. He ran behind the large delivery truck and instructed Alice to stay down as he tried to see what was going on. 

Peering around the back of the truck, he saw a large group of masked men emerge from various points along main street with automatic weapons. The men shot into the scattering crowd indiscriminately and seemed to take particular pleasure in killing the ones that begged. The jeering asshole from moments ago ran up to one of the masked men a few dozen feet from the truck, and embraced him laughingly as he shouted "about fucking time! Wooh! Gimme a gun." 

The masked man stilled and snapped his head round to stare directly at him. Derek froze, and watched in disbelief as the man raised his gun and shot the jeering man in the head. The sounds of the gunshots and the screams faded away as he watched the man kick the body away and walk towards the truck. He ducked back behind the truck and tried desperately to look for something to use as a weapon. Alice called his name and he turned to see the omega holding out a switchblade. The blonde looked at him with fear in her eyes and a tear stained face. 

"I k-keep it w-with me f-for protection" she sobbed. Derek curled his hand around the handle of the slim blade and wiped the tears from her face. He couldn't let this girl die here, he wouldn't. 

"Get under the truck...sshh...quietly, Alice..." he whispered "...and don't come out until you know it's safe. Ok?" Alice looked at him wide eyed and shook her head. He heard the sound of a gun shot somewhere behind him, and quickly crouched down and ushered her under the truck. Alice curled under the vehicle and clutched at his hand desperately when he tried to move away. 

"Derek..." 

The whites of Alice's eyes almost glowed in the shade under the truck as she squeezed his hand tightly and begged him to hide with her. Derek stared at the trembling omega and smiled as confidently as he could. 

"Sshh Alice, it's gonna be ok" he said in a quiet voice, before letting go of her hand and standing up. Derek took a deep breath and tightened his grip on they knife in his hands. As he turned to walk back around the truck, he felt the cold, hard edge of a muzzle against his back. 

"Going somewhere?" asked the voice behind him.

 

TBC......


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek faces down a masked man, and the vote finally takes place....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, enjoy the new chapter and as always, thank you for the kudos and comments. 
> 
> Please be warned, this chapter contains violence. It's a tough chapter I confess, but it's the storm before the calm, so hang on! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Senator Susan Mallory cleared her throat and made the last of her remarks. After hours and hours (and hours) of filibustering, she was exhausted and had finally come to the end of Peter's thick file of notes. Her colleagues sat either side of her looked just as tired, and Susan smiled at them in thanks. Peter had asked her for time, and she and her colleagues had provided it; she only hoped that it had been enough time to allow the resourceful omega to find a way out of this mess. As she finally took a seat after thanking the floor, she glanced to her left to see Victoria Argent smiling at her. She frowned and quickly looked away; a happy Senator Argent was never a good thing, at least in her experience. 

"The bill on the floor is bill 11637-B; The Omega Reclamation Bill. Would anyone else like to make remarks before we vote?" asked the Presiding Officer in a tired voice. The floor remained silent, and with a sigh of relief, the Presiding Officer announced that the vote was about to commence. Susan steeled herself for the vote ahead, and thought once again of Peter. She'd done all she could, now it was up to him. 

"The question is on the adoption of bill 11637-B. Those in favour of the bill say aye." 

 

************************

 

"Turn around."

Derek slowly turned around and saw the masked man holding a gun pointed at his head. The black mask the man wore over his face concealed everything but his grey eyes, which were currently studying Derek with interest. 

"Drop the knife and get on your knees" the man instructed as the sounds of a gunshot followed by a blood curdling scream ripped through the air. Thinking of the trembling omega hidden beneath the truck, he acquiesced without protest, and dropped the knife, before falling to his knees. The masked man kicked the knife away with a bloody boot and rested the muzzle of the gun against his forehead.

"You're an alpha" said the man. It wasn't a question, more a curious observation. 

Derek clenched his jaw and dared to look up into the man's eyes. The man narrowed his eyes and beckoned to someone behind him, and he tried not to flinch as another gun was placed to the back of his head. The masked man crouched down and searched through his pockets, before finally finding his wallet and removing his driver's license. 

"You're a Hale...Talia Hale's son, right?" asked the man, tapping the gun against the card. 

Derek said nothing for a moment, but grunted out a 'yes' when the gun at the back of his head jammed against his skull painfully. The masked man nodded and stood up, before laughing quietly. 

"Your mother is a great alpha; she understands that these things..." he gestured beyond the truck to the mass of bodies lying lifeless on the bloody street "...need to be controlled. That being said, I'm curious as to what an alpha, Talia Hale's son no less, is doing at a filthy trou rally." 

Derek gritted his teeth at the man's nonchalant tone, and stared quietly at the dirty pavement. The mention of his mother's name in such an admiring tone, coming from this man, made him sick. 

"Hmmm, well if you won't tell me, perhaps your friend will." 

Before he could even process the words and understand what was happening, he heard Alice scream in terror behind him. Without caring about the gun jammed against the back of his head, he snapped his head round to see yet another masked man drag Alice from beneath the truck, and slam her up against the side of the truck, before wrapping a large hand around her throat. He moved toward her, but was knocked back to the ground when the asshole behind him hit him on the back of the head with the butt of his gun. His head throbbed painfully and his vision swam, as blood dripped down the back of his neck. 

"Tch, I'm disappointed Mr. Hale, all this effort for a trou? I admit she's very..." he looked up to see the man walk over to Alice and run his hand down the front of her blouse "...attractive, but I highly doubt she's worth the fuss, no matter how well she takes it." Alice sobbed as the men around her laughed at the insult.

Derek rolled to his back and tried to sit up as black dots marred his vision. "Leave her a-alone" he choked out, before pushing off the pavement and standing on his feet unsteadily. The masked men circling him and Alice laughed, and he saw the man holding her against the truck, rip open her blouse. Alice closed her eyes and turned her head away at the violation. Rage steadied his feet, and he barreled forward and knocked the man holding her to the ground, before punching the sick fuck in the face again and again. As he pulled back his fist to hit the man again, strong hands yanked him off the man and shoved him to the pavement, belly down. A heavy boot pressed down painfully at the back of his neck and the muzzle of a gun was placed on the back of his head. 

A set of bloody boots stopped in front of him and he heard the by now familiar voice of the masked man. "You're lucky you're your mother's son, I wouldn't be so forgiving otherwise. Your little trou, however..." the man grabbed his hair and pulled his head up to look at a wide eyed Alice "...will not be shown the same mercy." 

The sound of the gunshot rang in his ears, and he watched in horror as Alice cried out in pain and fell to the ground. The boot lifted from his neck and the gun was removed from the back of his head, before the masked men began walking away one by one. Derek scrambled across to Alice, and pressed his hands to the wound on her belly, trying to stem the blood pouring from her stomach.

Alice stared a him with tears in her eyes and whispered his name, before groaning in pain. 

"I-I'm here Alice...hold on..." 

 

**************************

 

The many 'ayes' echoed loudly in the chambers, and Susan Mallory glanced at her three colleagues, and sighed. 

"All those opposed to the bill say nay." 

Susan, along with her three colleagues, voiced her vote, and ignored the smiling faces of the Senators to her left as they savoured their victory. 

The Presiding Officer nodded and said "I hereby declare the bill 11637-B; The Omega Reclamation Bill, has been passed." 

 

*************************

 

Derek removed his jacket and held it tightly against Alice's stomach as he dialled 911. Alice shuddered and looked up at him with desperation in her eyes. 

"911, what is your emergency?" 

As succinctly as he could, he told the operator what had happened and asked her to send both police and medics. 

"Ok, Sir, they're on their way. Stay right where you are" she instructed before he ended the call. 

Alice touched his blood slicked hand with cold, trembling fingers and sobbed. "I t-think I'm dying D-derek....oh god...please d-dont let me die." He brushed the hair away from her face gently and smiled at her as tears welled in his eyes. 

"You're not dying Alice, the ambulance is on its way...I promise it's going to be ok" he said, pressing down more firmly on her wound with the, by now, blood soaked jacket. The omega's breathing shallowed and her eyes began to close. 

"ALICE! Hey, Alice, look at me....come on" he yelled as he shook her in an effort to keep her awake and alert. Alice furrowed her brow and blinked up at him in confusion. 

"Derek?" 

"Hey, hi, you gotta keep your eyes open, ok? Just for a bit longer, ok?" he babbled, as he looked around for any sign of the ambulances. He turned back to the omega when he heard her choke out a laugh. 

"What's so funny?" he asked quietly as he saw the omega pale even further. 

"I j-just remembered h-how....much I s-spent on...b-books this semester...what a w-waste" she laughed morbidly. Derek wiped the tears from her eyes and cupped her cheek. 

"They aren't going to be a waste Alice, you're gonna get through this and go back to school, and live a long, happy life. You understand Alice? We are going to get out of here, together." 

Alice arched her body off the ground and cried out in pain, before clutching his hand desperately. "Derek...please d-don't let m-me die alone...d-don't leave me...p-promise." 

Derek squeezed her hand tightly and nodded. "I promise Alice, I won't leave you. I promise" he vowed as he heard the sounds of an ambulance in the distance. 

 

************************

 

Talia yawned as she got out of bed and padded across to the bathroom. It had been a long night of arguing with David, and she hadn't really managed to sleep much after he'd stormed out and decided to sleep in the guest room. She disrobed and was about to step into the hot shower, when she heard her phone buzz on the night stand. With a sigh, she walked back into the bedroom and picked up her phone. The screen displayed a message from Victoria that simply read 'We did it Tally! Drinks at lunch?'. 

Talia laughed and replied with an enthusiastic 'hell yes Tory! Congratulations!' Victoria quickly replied with a 'Congratulations to you too', before confirming their lunch plans. She smiled and felt a sense of accomplishment wash over her as she headed back to the shower with a spring in her step. 

She jumped and almost knocked her head against the frame of the bathroom door when David and Laura flung open the bedroom door and rushed in. Talia quickly grabbed her robe and covered herself before turning to her husband and daughter.  
"My god, you two! What is it?" she asked irritably. Laura glanced at her father before quietly walking over to the walk in closet and removing a few items of clothing. She arched a brow at her husband, who grabbed her arm and dragged her into the bathroom, before slamming the door shut. 

"David, wh-"

"Shut up and listen to me Talia. Firstly, William called; Peter was abducted yesterday evening. He was found this morning, and is currently in the hospital." 

Talia frowned and stared at her husband in confusion; Peter was abducted? By whom? This wasn't a movie, these things didn't happen in real life, surely? She opened her mouth to ask David what was going on, but he silenced her with a look. 

"Secondly, Laura doesn't know this, but Derek's in hospital too. I just received a call from his attending doctor, and it seems he's suffering from a serious concussion. We need to get to the hospital and look after our family today. I don't want to argue with you and I don't want you to butt heads with your father either...he's got enough on his plate today. I want you to get ready and meet us at the hospital as soon as possible. I'm driving over with Laura, but Cora will wait for you downstairs. Ok?" he asked, looking at her grimly. She nodded and watched her husband leave the bathroom in silence. 

 

**************************

 

William stroked his grandson's hair and sat down on the chair beside his bed. Derek had been unconscious for over half an hour, and Dr. Sharma had told him that the boy had refused medical attention until the omega he was with, had been taken care of by the doctors. 

William sighed and rubbed his eyes as a flash of pain ran across his chest. As his grandson lay unconscious in the bed before him, and his son lay unconscious in the bed next door, he gathered his strength and ignored the pain. His family needed him, and he was determined to be strong for them. 

 

TBC..........


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gérard is met with a nasty surprise....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, apologies for the late chapter, but RL tends to get in the way of writing sometimes. I hope you enjoy the chapter, and thank you again for your kudos and comments. This thing is turning into a saga, I know :O
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

The squad car pulled up in front of the palatial home as Officer Micheal Travis took one last drag of his cigarette. 

"You ready Trav?" 

Micheal dropped the cigarette butt in his coffee cup, rubbed the back of his neck, and sighed; it had been a very, very long morning. Charlie Tuft, the interviewing officer and his long time friend, sat in the drivers seat and looked at him in concern. 

"Relax Charlie, it's been a long fucking morning, gimme a break" he said, before grabbing the warrant and opening the passenger side door. "Come on, let's get this done; we'll have a shit ton of paperwork to fill out once we get back." 

Charlie nodded and exited the squad car, before following him up the steps to the front door. Two other uniformed officers parked up behind them, and jogged up the stairs to stand either side of the doorway. He nodded in greeting to the two officers and knocked on the door. A moment later, the door was answered by a pretty, young beta in a maid's uniform, who informed them that Gérard Argent was waiting for them in his study. Micheal followed her lead and gestured for his men to follow him. They'd had to be buzzed in to the grounds via an intercom system a few minutes ago, so he was unsurprised that Argent was already waiting on them. 

The maid led them up the stairs to the 'east wing' and showed them into a large, ornate, wood panelled study. Gérard Argent sat behind a grande desk, but stood to greet them as his maid led them in. 

"Officers, how may I help you today?" he asked, before offering them coffee and pastries. Argent didn't even wait for a response before he walked back around his desk and took a seat. "If this is about Christopher, I've already been informed by the hospital. As a matter of fact, I was just on my way there." 

Micheal glanced at the officers either side of him and nodded. He dropped the arrest warrant on the desk and began to rattle off the standard miranda spiel, as his officers rounded the desk and handcuffed the man. 

"Gérard Argent, I am arresting you for the abduction and attempted murder of Omega Peter Hale. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney..." 

Argent struggled and cursed as he was led down the stairs of his home, in handcuffs. The pretty maid appeared from the back of the house and watched the scene with an expression of horror. "Mr. Ar-"

Argent craned his neck back to look at the girl as he was led out of the door. "Call Victoria! Tell her to get Lionel right now!" he yelled. The girl nodded and rushed away. Charlie sat Argent in the back of the squad car and slammed the door shut. 

"Wasn't so bad, right?" 

Micheal glanced at the cold eyes of the man in the back of the squad car, and told Charlie to shut it and get them to the station. He had a feeling it was gonna be a really, really, shitty day. 

 

*************************

 

Victoria fixed her make up and checked her teeth in the mirror on the wall. She'd done it; she'd got the bill passed, and now it was time to bask in her victory. Outside the doors of her office stood a scrum of reporters, from all of the biggest networks, just waiting for her to grace them with her presence and provide them with the perfect soundbite to accompany the story of her success. Satisfied with her appearance, she walked to the door and took a deep breath. 

As the door opened, she was blinded by the camera lights and flashes, but smiled confidently nonetheless, as she stepped out of her office. The reporters shouted questions over one another and she quickly quieted the crowd, and pointed to a brunette woman at the front of the pack. The reporter smiles smugly at the rest of her colleagues, and asked a predicable question about how she was feeling after successfully passing such 'sweeping' legislation through the house.

Her answers were succinct and full of false humility and praise for her fellow conservatives 'who worked tirelessly' alongside her. The image of Senator Rick Walker gleefully accepting the CCA's generous 'donation' to his reelection campaign popped into her head, and she pretended to cough, and covered her mouth to conceal the smile. The Q and A continued this way for ten minutes, until a young, red headed woman pushed to the front of the crowd and shoved a microphone in her face. Victoria frowned at the disrespect, but the young woman appeared unphased. 

"Senator Argent, Lydia Martin from CNBN, do you have any comments regarding your father-in-law's arrest earlier this morning, for the abduction and attempted murder of a prominent omega?" 

A hush fell over the crowd of reporters as Victoria stared at the redheaded reporter in shock. 

"Excuse me?" she asked, recalling with dread, the incessant ringing of her phone as she prepared for the 'spontaneous' press conference. 

The reporter; Lydia Martin, narrowed her eyes, and Victoria could discern the beginnings of a smile on the woman's face. The rest of the reporters watched the scene with rapt attention and the camera men zoomed in on her pinched face. 

"Senator; your father-in-law, Gérard Argent, was arrested approximately 1 hour ago on the charges of the abduction and attempted murder of Omega Peter Hale. Do you have any comments regarding his arrest? Particularly after the vote, and given Mr. Hale's long held views on the rights and freedoms of omega's in this country?" 

She clenched her teeth and gave the now predatory reporter, a thin lipped smile, before looking beyond her to the shocked reporters. 

"Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for your questions, but this conference is over. Please excuse me." 

She smiled one last time and turned to walk back into her office. A moment of complete silence followed her statement, but was quickly shattered by a barrage of questions yelled at her by sharks who smelled blood on the water. Victoria closed the door to her office gently behind her, as Lydia Martin watched her with a wide smile on her face. 

She strode to her desk and grabbed her phone, before calling home. She switched on the TV, and when the call was finally answered, asked "what the fuck is going on?!?"

 

**************************

 

"Mr. Argent, did you hear me?" 

Chris watched as a fat pigeon flew off the ledge outside the window as thick, grey clouds filled the sky. 

"Mr. Arg- Chris? Are you listening to me? It's important that you understand what's going to hap-"

He tore his gaze from the storm sky and turned to look at the doctor. 

"I heard you Doc; my leg had to be chopped off, and now I'm a cripple. Thanks, you can go now" he said, with a nonchalant shrug. The doctor; Dr. Rankin, stepped up to the hospital bed and removed his glasses. 

"Chris, you are not a cripple. Yes, the accident caused you to lose a limb, but you're a strong, healthy guy. With some physio and a prosthetic, you can regain full mo-" 

Chris cut the doctor off with a bitter laugh, and ran a hand through his close cropped hair. 

"Full mobility....right..." he said sarcastically, before closing his eyes "...just leave me alone. Go and help some other poor bastard, because I'm in no mood for your advice doctor." He waited until he heard the doctor quietly leaving the room, before opening his eyes. 

His father had wrought so much destruction in his life over the years, but this? Chris laughed as a morbid realisation hit him; the old man had finally got what he'd always wanted...he'd taken away his freedom. Chris turned his eyes to the rapidly darkening sky, and cursed his sick fuck of a father. 

 

**************************

 

'Breaking news this morning, over 100 omega protestors were killed, and another 60 were seriously injured after a group of men opened fire today at the SAOR rally. The Police Department will be making their official statement shortly, but for now we go now to Rachel Aldridge, who is at the scene.' 

A slim, dark haired reporter, standing in front a police barrier, appeared on the screen. It was evident that the reporter didn't have many details about the incident, but she rambled on for 20 minutes nonetheless, making asinine observations, and drawing wild conclusions from the few statements that had been made by shaken eye witnesses. The network eventually wrapped up the story with a promise to keep the viewers updated with further details as they arose. The anchor shuffled his papers, and with a troubled expression, looked back up at the camera. 

'In other news, worrying news emerging from Indiana this morning, regarding the case of 16 year old omega; Amy Wells. Miss. Wells was arrested late last week for the murder of three alpha's at an Indiana Court House. The 16 year old had previously alleged that the three alpha's had sexually assaulted her during her heat, but the men were found not guilty by an Indiana jury and released from custody. 

It was suspected that Miss. Wells lured the men into an empty room at the Court House, and murdered them in response to this perceived injustice. However, astonishing new video footage released anonymously online late last night, appears to disprove that assertion. In the video, the three alpha's appear to force the young omega into the empty room, with a gun held to her head, before locking the door and sexually assaulting her. After the attack, Miss. Wells managed to grab the gun, and proceeded to shoot all three men. 

Due to the graphic nature of the footage, we are unable to broadcast it, but police have now confirmed that the video appears to be authentic. Miss. Wells is still in police custody at this time, and the Indiana Attorney General has yet to comment on how she foresees this case moving forward, given this new evidence. 

And finally, in financial news tonight, the merger of....'

 

**************************

 

Cam sat on his bed and quietly watched the bloody images flash across the screen. The police had managed to erect boards all along the lines of the police tape, thereby concealing whatever nightmare lay on main street. As omega after omega slowly began to come forward and recount their memories of the incident, Cam grew increasingly worried and reached for his phone. Why wouldn't his family call him after such a horrible event? Surely, that couldn't be a good thing. Over the next half hour, he tried calling everyone, but no one picked up his call. Worry now turning to fear, Cam sat cross legged on the floor and kept his thumb firmly pressed to the redial button.

The door to his dorm room was flung open a moment later, and a panting, red faced Jackson ran into the room. The blond collapsed on the floor in front of him and tried to catch his breath. 

"Oh...my...god...Cam....did you hear?" he panted, before moving to sit shoulder to shoulder with him against the bed. Cam nodded as tears welled in his eyes. Jackson's big blue eyes widened at the tears, and he wrapped an arm around Cam's shoulders. 

"Hey, dude, I'm sure your family's ok." 

Cam wiped his eyes furiously and asked why, if that were the case, no one was answering his call. Jackson flicked his gaze between his face and the phone clutched tightly in his hand, before removing his arm and pulling his own phone out of his pocket. Cam frowned in confusion. 

Jackson smiled and told him to give him a contact number for one of his family members. "That way, you can keep trying all the other numbers, and I'll just keep redialing the one number. Someone has to pick up eventually, right?" 

Cam smiled at the beta and nodded, before handing over Laura's phone number. 

 

TBC .........


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek wakes up to some distressing news....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys and girls, apologies for the late update - it's been a very busy work week. As always, many thanks for your continued support. I hope you enjoy this chapter. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Derek winced and turned his head away from the painfully bright light filtering through the window. The hum of machinery, and the antiseptic smell permeating the room confused him. Where the hell was he? He slowly sat up on the narrow bed and looked around the sterile white room filled with various medical equipment; a hospital? Why was he in a - Derek froze as Alice's tear stained face flashed before his eyes. Ignoring the hammering pain in his head, he tried to recall what had happened to the omega. He remembered holding her hand as she was rushed into the hospital, but nothing else after that. Frustrated, he pushed off the bed gently, and shuffled across to the closed door. 

The tiled floor was cold beneath his bare feet and the hospital gown hung loosely on his shoulders, exposing his naked back to the world. He considered looking around for his clothes, but nixed the idea as soon as he curled his fingers around the door knob. He'd promised Alice that he would stay with her, and who the hell knew how long he'd been knocked out. Stepping out into the hallway, he shielded his eyes against the harsh glare of the overhead lights, and slowly walked across to the nurses desk. 

An older woman with dark skin and a dark blue nurses uniform sat behind the desk, tapping away at a keyboard. 

"Excuse me?" 

The woman, whose name badge declared her to be Angela, looked up and frowned. 

"Mr. Hale? What on earth are you doing out of bed?" she asked, walking out from behind the desk and ushering him back in the direction of his room. Derek shook his head and leaned against the nurses desk; his head spinning. 

"Mr. H-"

"Please...the omega I came in with, where is she? I need to see her" he asked desperately, already imagining the girl panicking upon waking up to find him gone. 

Angela furrowed her brow for a moment, before widening her eyes, and looking away. Fear stabbed him in the belly as the nurse continued to avoid his gaze, and instructed him to get back into bed. Derek straightened and shuffled across to the nurse on unsteady legs. 

"What is it? Is she ok?" he asked, infusing his voice with as much authority as he could in his current state. The nurse finally looked at him, and the softening of her eyes made his heart pound. 

"Mr. Hale, perhaps we should wai-" 

He grabbed her arm and shook his head. "No. I want to know how she is..." his voice broke as guilt made his stomach churn "...please...I promised I wouldn't leave her". The nurse stepped into his space, and removing his hand from her arm, held it tightly in her own. 

"Mr. Hale, I'm so sorry...Alice... didn't make it through surgery."

"What?" he whispered, unable to comprehend what she was telling him. The nurse's hold on his hand tightened further as she began explaining what had happened to the omega, using confusing terms like; 'abdominal aorta' and 'hemmoragic shock'. Derek barely heard a word the woman said as he remembered Alice's last words to him; 'Derek...please d-don't let m-me die alone...d-don't leave me...p-promise'. He'd broken his promise; not only had he left her all by herself amongst strangers, his inability to protect her had caused her to lose her life. Disentangling his hand from the nurse's, he quietly thanked the woman for her help and walked down the hall to the elevators. He ignored the nurse calling his name and stepped into the elevator car. As the doors to the elevator closed, Derek stared at his reflection in the mirrored wall, and tried to forget the coppery smell of Alice's blood. 

 

**************************

 

"Peter is currently in a medically induced coma, and we hope that given time, the swelling in his brain will recede and the brain will heal itself. Mr. Hale, as I told you earlier, the drug that was administered to your son is unknown to us, but we're hopeful that the blood work will tell us more. At this time, the 'heat' that I believe was induced by the drug has passed, and he is in as stable a condition as we can get him, without knowing more about the drug that was given to him." 

William looked out of the window at the small crowd of people that had gathered on the hospital grounds, and despite the circumstances, smiled softly. The ruckus had started a few hours ago ago when an anti-omega nut had tried to gain entrance to the hospital with an automatic weapon, in the hopes of 'finishing off' the few omegas that had survived the shootings earlier. Unfortunately for the nut, a small group of alphas and betas, all just average citizens who had been waiting in the hospital lobby, took offence at the nonsense he was spewing, and apprehended him before any damage could be done. 

As the news of the days atrocities had spread, more and more people had converged on the hospital, and now a human barrier had been formed between the vulnerable omega's in the hospital, and the nuts who wanted to kill them. Many of the men and women held placards expressing their support of the omega cause, and William had watched as one after the other, they condemned the shootings to eager reporters, hungry for the perfect soundbite. 

"Dad?" The sound of Talia's voice, shook him from his musings. 

William turned away from the window and walked over to the doctor's desk, before taking a seat. Ignoring his daughter, he asked the doctor how long he expected Peter to be kept in a drug induced coma. 

"Ideally? For as short a time as possible; we want his brain to heal, but we don't want to flush his body with more drugs for too long. We will continue to monitor him, and will have someone with him round the clock. He's in good hands, Mr. Hale." 

He pictured his son lying unconscious in a cold hospital bed for weeks, and felt grief weigh heavily on his aged shoulders. Thanking the doctor for his help, he walked straight past Talia, and exited the office, before making his way to Peter's room. He heard the click, click, click of his daughter's heels behind him, but he didn't slow down or look back. After the events of the last few weeks, and particularly after the events of the last 24 hours, he was far too angry to talk to his daughter in any reasonable way. 

"Dad! Please, why are you so angry with me? Atleast give me a cha-"

Feeling anger cloud his reason and swallow his fatherly patience, he turned to his daughter and silenced her with a raised hand. He stepped toward his daughter, who trembled as he neared, and fixed his furious gaze on her terrified face.

"I will only say this once, so listen closely. If I see you, or any of your 'friends' anywhere near my son again, I will forget that you are my daughter. Stay away from my family Talia. This is your final warning." 

His daughter's face paled as fat tears rolled down her cheeks. William shook his head in disgust and having finally reached Peter's room, slammed the door shut in Talia's face. He would deal with her later, but for now, his priority was making sure that Peter made a full recovery. Once his son came back to him, he'd deal with those who'd hurt his family.

 

*************************

 

Stiles tightened his hold on the duffel bag on his shoulder and thanked Marcus for the lift, before exiting the car. Walking up to the hospital, he saw a large crowd of people and paused. What the fuck was going on now? As his gaze swept the peaceful looking crowd, he spotted a young woman holding a placard stating 'WE STAND UNITED WITH OUR OMEGA BRETHREN', and sighed in relief, before cautiously moving forward through the throng. He finally reached the front of the crowd and was annoyed to find his way blocked by a large, muscular beta in a security uniform. 

"I'm here at the request of-" 

"Do I look like I give a fuck, kid? Get back; no one's getting in today unless they arrive in an ambulance" said the no necked dick. Stiles quickly pulled out his phone and called Mr. Hale, who barked at the security gaurd loudly through the phone. The gaurd offered his apologies to the alpha and waved his omega ass through the barrier. Stiles smiled and flipped him off, before walking into the hospital, and making his way to the bank of elevators at the back. While he waited for the elevator, he caught sight of a familiar head of black hair, and frowned. 

What the hell was Derek doing walking around down here? In a hospital gown no less?! Didn't Mr. Hale say he had a serious head injury? As the elevator doors finally opened, he dismissed Derek the dick from his mind and stepped in to the car. Derek the dick was not his problem. Absolutely not his problem. 

A young couple rushed up to the elevator with a double wide buggy, and wrestled to get the buggy and their screaming kids into the elevator, while juggling what appeared to be a hundred bags. Stiles helped the young mother with a few of her bags and stepped out of the elevator car to allow the young couple enough room to maneuver the buggy in. As he held open the doors for the grateful couple, he caught a flash of blue in his peripheral vision, and turned to see Derek the dick walking towards the hospital entrance. In a hospital gown. Out into the freezing cold. In a hospital gown. His boss's grandson and Cam's big brother. Fuck! Fuck! Dammit all to hell! 

Having finally fit what appeared to be every possession they owned into the car, the young couple smiled at him and told him to 'squeeze on in'. Stiles looked between the cramped elevator and the slowly retreating back of a certain dickish alpha, and cursed his life. 

"Uh...I'll wait for the next one" he said to the relief of the young couple with the bawling children. As the elevator doors closed behind him with an annoying ding, he made his way back to the entrance and searched for Derek. He walked around the side of the hospital, past the crowds, and finally spotted him sitting on a bench, on a small, sad patch of grass. Derek's dark hair flapped around his head in the wind, and his hospital gown billowed and exposed his naked back. Stiles blew out a breath and considered simply walking away, and informing Mr. Hale. But the unnatural stillness of Derek's body forced his feet forward, even as his head screamed 'danger, Will Robinson, danger!' 

With a heavy sigh, he rounded the bench and sat down beside the motionless alpha. The bench faced a row of huge oak trees, and Stiles stared at the greenery in silence. The alpha beside him didn't move an inch, or attempt to speak to him for the next ten minutes, and frustrated, he finally turned to look at Derek. The alpha looked rough; his eyes were ringed with dark circles, his usually immaculate scruff looked more cave man than Calvin Klein, and the back of his head and neck were still stained with remnants of dried blood. Folding one leg up onto the bench, he turned his body to fully face Derek, and waited. 

The arctic wind howled through the trees and Stiles glanced at the alpha's naked back as he shuddered in his thick jacket. 

"She's dead."

He flicked his eyes up at Derek's face, and found the alpha still staring blankly at the swaying trees. He remained silent, and waited for Derek to explain. 

"She begged me not to leave her alone, and I let her die....surrounded by strangers...alone, and scared, and in pain..." the alpha looked up at the dark sky and shook his head "...I couldn't protect her, and I couldn't give her the one thing she asked of me before she died." 

Derek hung his head and touched bright red fingers to his temples. Stiles frowned, unzipped his jacket, and draped it over the alpha's shoulders. He startled when Derek grabbed his hand and looked at him with eyes just as dark as the sky overhead. 

"Do you think she forgave me? For breaking my promise?" asked the alpha in a quiet voice. Stiles stared at his hand, clutched tightly in Derek's ice cold, bright red hand, and for the first time in a long time, was at a loss for words. He was the last person Derek should be asking when it came to death and forgiveness; even now, years later, the image of his father's dead accusing eyes stalked his dreams.

Before he could formulate a response, Laura Hale appeared beside Derek with a frantic worry in her eyes. 

"Derek! Oh, thank god! What are you doing out here?!? We've been looking everywhere for you! Come on, back inside, it's freezing out here!" Laura exclaimed, before helping Derek up, and escorting him back into the hospital. Stiles watched them disappear around the side of the hospital and palmed his face. Do the dead ever really forgive us for those last transgressions, those last broken oaths and promises? 

"I have no fucking clue Derek; your guess is as good as mine" he whispered, as the wind once more howled through the trees. 

 

TBC........


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris has a visitor, and Derek and Talia clash....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy the new chapter, which is late because, well RL; it's a nuisance, what can I say? Anyway, as always thank you for your continued support! BTW thank you for your amazing comments! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Chris's arms trembled as he tried to push off the bed and lean all of his weight on his one remaining foot. Lighting bolts of pain shot through his body and he collapsed back onto the bed with a frustrated grunt. He'd been at this for an hour. The doctors and nurses had told him that he'd be bed bound for a few days and had discouraged him from doing too much too fast. But the idea of being imprisoned in the confines of the stark, white hospital room for days on end, crippled and vulnerable, had made his heart pound and palms sweat.

So for the past hour, while mentally screaming a loud fuck you to the doctors, he had been trying to stand. One hour, and the most he'd been able to do without almost blacking out from pain, had been to rest his remaining foot on the floor. Wiping the cold sweat from his brow, he stared at his stump and felt his blood boil with fury. His life, his freedom, his mate; everything had been taken from him, leaving him alone and weak. In a rage, he picked up the remote control beside him and threw it against the wall, where it smashed to pieces. Breathing heavily, he hung his head in his hands and closed his eyes. 

"Feel better?" 

Chris snapped his head around to see William Hale watching him intently from the doorway. He flushed in embarrassment, and quickly threw a sheet over his stump. 

"What do you want?" he asked brusquely, as the Hale patriarch stepped into the room and closed the door behind him.

William Hale dragged a seat from the corner of the room and sat down directly in front of him. Stern blue eyes fixed on him and he suddenly realised how dry his mouth was. William leaned forward and glanced at the bandaged stump, before settling back in his seat and adopting a thoughtful expression. 

"I'm curious, Christopher, what were you doing at the warehouse?" 

He stared at William for a minute, before dropping his gaze to the tiled floor and clenching his fists. What was the point of telling this man anything? After what his wife and father had done, the chances of the alpha sat across from him believing anything he said, was slim to none. Deciding to keep his mouth shut, he scooted back in the bed and rested his head against the mound of pillows. 

"The man driving the van told police officers that you rammed your car right into them. You saved Peter's life. I'm here to find out whether that was your intention, or an unfortunate mistake on your part." 

At the mention of Peter's name, Chris turned to look at the alpha with a concerned expression. 

"Peter...he's ok?" he asked, hoping his voice revealed nothing but indifferent curiosity. William narrowed his eyes and studied him with an intensity that made him look away. After an uncomfortable moment of silence, William stood up and walked to the end of his bed. 

"That's what I thought. My son likes to believe that he is at once, both inscrutable and impenetrable. That the secrets and..." William made sure to look directly at him "...abuses, of his past are hidden from me. But he forgets that no matter how smart he is or many masks he wears, I am his father. And there is little, if anything, that I do not know, or have not discovered about him." 

The history William was alluding to made his cheeks heat in shame, and he dropped his gaze to the white cotton sheet draped over his legs. 

"Do you love him?" 

Memories of a beautiful boy with a shy smile, and the sweetest scent imaginable, flooded his mind. Chris looked up at William in defeat and nodded. 

"I never stopped" he whispered. 

William grabbed the rung at the foot of his bed so tightly that his knuckles turned white, and looked at him with a determined expression and fiery eyes. 

"Then help me keep him safe. Help me ensure that your sick father spends the rest of his days in a locked cell, where he cannot hurt another omega. Ever. Again." 

With the taste of Peter's scent on his tongue, Chris nodded and said "what do you need me to do?" 

William released his hold of the metal rung, which creaked ominously, and pulled out his phone. "I want you to make a statement and bury that son of a bitch."

 

**************************

 

Kate scrubbed every inch of her body under the scolding water of the shower, until the skin turned a deep pink. She'd spent the last few nights with Richard Carson at his home, but despite the luxury of her surroundings, she'd never felt cheaper or dirtier. The man may preach about 'traditional values' as part of his work with the CCA, but his carnal appetites were anything but 'traditional'. She finished showering and wrapped her tired, sore body in a large fluffy towel, before padding over to the sink. Wiping away the steam from the mirror, she stared at her reflection, and felt empty and ashamed. 

She heard her grandfather's voice in her head, and quickly wiped the tears from her eyes. What the fuck was wrong with her? Her grandfather was right; sacrifices had to be made for the greater good. And in any case, Richard wasn't so bad; he always gave her expensive trinkets, and in a dimly lit room, it was easy to ignore the sagging skin and lecherous eyes. Taking a deep breath, she roughly dried her hair and applied the red lipstick Richard liked so much, before stepping back into the bedroom. 

Richard sat naked on the chaise at the end of the king size bed, watching the news with rapt attention. Images of a protesting crowd, followed by images of police cars and ambulances flashed across the screen, as a hot young reporter droned on in a sombre voice in the background. Kate took a deep breath and dropped the towel, before tiptoeing over to the naked alpha on the chaise. She clapped her hands around his eyes and whispered "guess who?" seductively into his ear.  
Richard ripped her hands from his eyes and roughly pushed her away. Her foot caught on a stray shoe and she screamed as she fell to the floor. Thank god it's carpeted, she thought, as she looked up at Richard in shock. 

"What the he-"

"Get out." 

Kate frowned as Richard pulled on a pair of slacks and reached for a shirt. Oh god...was this some kinky new role play he wanted to try? It wouldn't be the first time. Playing along, she crawled over to him and slithered up his body, before challenging "make me". 

Richard stared at her blankly for a moment, before grabbing her arms tightly, and pushing her back into the chaise. Her back hit the wooden arm of the chaise as she fell, and she cried out in pain. 

"I'm not fucking around, Kate! Get your stuff, and get the fuck out of my house right now! After what Gérard did, I can't risk being seen with you. Come on..." he pulled her up and threw her clothes at her "...hurry the fuck up! I'll get my driver to drop you off somewhere discreet." 

"My grandfather? Wha-"

"SHUT YOUR FUCKING MOUTH AND GET DRESSED!" he screamed, his face turning puce. She took a step back and quickly pulled on the short skirt and tight shirt she'd worn here, even as pain shot down her spine. As he followed her down the stairs and pushed her out of the back door, into a black sedan with tinted windows, she wondered what the hell had happened. 

 

***************************

 

Angela the nurse, stood trembling in front of his mother, as she was harshly rebuked for her 'incompetence and negligence'. Shrugging off Laura's hold on his arm, Derek stepped forward on unsteady legs, and stood in front of the nurse. 

"Mom, what the hell are y-"

The rest of his words were lost as his mother embraced him tightly, and rattled off question after question; "oh my god Derek, are you ok? Is your head ok? Are you still in pain? What happened? Where did you go?"

Feeling the warmth of his mother's embrace didn't provide the comfort it usually did, and Derek clenched his fists at his side, as the masked gunman's voice rang in his ears; 'your mother is a great alpha...you're lucky you're your mother's son, I wouldn't be so forgiving otherwise..."

Pulling out of his mother's embrace, he stepped back, and turning, told the nurse to return to work. The nurse smiled gratefully, and quickly walked away down the hallway. 

"Derek?" His mother's voice was filled with as much confusion as it was filled with concern, and he sighed tiredly, before turning back. Before he could open his mouth to tell his mother to leave him alone for a while, her gaze fixed on someone behind him and two red dots appeared on her cheeks. Frowning, he followed her gaze and froze when he saw Stiles. The omega wore dark jeans and a short sleeved shirt, and held a duffel bag in his hands. Laura glanced nervously between their mother and the omega, before asking Stiles what he was doing at the hospital. Derek saw the overhead light catch the goosebumps on the omega's bare arms as he shrugged, and he realised with a start, that he still had Stiles jacket draped over his shoulders. 

"Don't mind me, I'm just here to drop off a few things for Peter..." he nodded pointedly to the duffel bag "...don't let me interrupt your hallmark moment. Excuse me". Stiles walked past Derek toward Peter's room, and he dropped his gaze to the floor at the look the omega shot him. Was that concern or disgust? His head throbbed so painfully, that he honestly had no idea. 

"Ow! What the fuck, lady?!" 

Hearing Stiles' voice, he looked up and saw his mother with her hand tightly circling the omega's arm. As Stiles winced in pain, he once again heard the gunman's sinister voice in his head; "your mother is a great alpha; she understands that these things need to be controlled". He watched in horror as his mother leaned in close to Stiles, with a contemptuous look on her face. 

"You. You're the cause of all of this. You and your kind make me sick..." 

Derek saw her tighten her hold around the omega's arm and stumbled when an image of Alice's terrified face flashed before his eyes. "Mom.." he choked out, as his head spun and his heart pounded. 

"Get the fuck off me, you crazy bitch!" yelled Stiles.

"You con your way into my father's home, manipulate my son...ugh..you're all the same..." 

"Mom...stop..."

"Always wanting more...using your disgusting bodies to take from others, destroying homes, leaving a trail of destruction in your wake...."

"Mom"

"Everything that has happened to my family is because of animals like you. You things need to be controlled." 

The masked gunman's voice and Alice's screams rang in his ears for a moment, before everything came into sharp focus. He strode forward and removed his mother's hand from the omega's arm with one hand, while he pushed Stiles back with the other. His mother stared at his hand circling her wrist in shock. 

"Derek-"

A cold, hard rage ripped through his body as he released her wrist and stepped back. 

"Son-"

He fixed a furious gaze on her face and shook his head. "ENOUGH! They're not animals or 'things'; they're fucking human beings who deserve the same respect as everyone else. What the hell gives you the right to decide what an omega should or shouldn't do with their body? Who the hell died and made you, or fucking Victoria Argent, the arbiters on everything single aspect of an omega's life?!? You wanna know how I spent this morning mom? I spent it crouched behind a fucking dunkin donuts van watching a group of self righteous, crazed freaking alpha's shooting down innocent omega's, whose only crime was that they dared to voice their disgust at a law that would violate them! How fucking crazy is that?!?" he laughed hysterically and ran a trembling hand through his hair "and then? Then I watched a young, innocent...unbelievably sweet girl get shot in the stomach by an evil fucking sociopath, who thought that because he was an alpha, he had the right to play god." 

He looked down at his trembling hands and saw Alice's blood painting his arms; thick and tacky and pungent. "And then? Then I had to watch while this sweet, innocent omega's life drained out of her small body...this sweet girl, who'd suffered countless abuses in her life, but still had the courage to face the world everyday... who'd just spent a stupid amount of money on college textbooks..." he rasped, his voice breaking "...some asshole decided that because he was 'lucky enough' to be born an alpha, he had the right to steal that innocent omega's future from her. God, mom...he spoke of you with such admiration before he shot her...." 

He glanced at Laura, who stood open mouthed, and Stiles, who watched him with those haunting gold eyes, before turning back to his mother. 

"And you call them animals." 

 

TBC........


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Talia is shocked by her children's reactions and Victoria finally visits Gérard.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, please enjoy the new chapter, and honestly, thank you so much for your kudos and wonderful comments. It's amazing for me to see how many of you are invested in the story, even though Sterek is ( atm anyway ) little more than a jumble of ideas in my head.  
> So thank you! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"And you call them animals." 

The silence that followed was deafening, and she flinched when she saw the disbelieving horror that marred her son's face. The boy she'd carried inside her for 9 months, the boy she'd spent night after night rocking gently to sleep in her arms, the boy who would beg her to lay beside him at night just in case monsters really did exist, now regarded her with suspicion and...disappointment. She felt something inside her break at the troubled confusion that darkened her son's eyes, and she reached out to touch his shoulder in comfort. Derek stepped back, out of her reach, and shook his head. 

"No, mom. Just go...please..." 

Her son averted his gaze as he spoke and the rejection shook her. She looked desperately to her daughter, but found Laura watching Derek, pointedly avoiding her gaze. She licked her lips with a tongue as rough as sandpaper, and took a tentative step forward; these were her children, born of her flesh and blood, and she refused to believe that they'd turn their backs on her over such a trivial matter. As she neared her son, Laura stepped around Derek, and raised her hands to halt her steps. 

"Please, mom, just go home. For once, do the right thing, and...go" her daughter said in a cool voice, as Derek turned his back to her and dropped his gaze to the floor. 

Talia flicked her gaze from her children to the omega, who stood stoically beside Laura, and felt the first flickering flames of hatred heat her belly. She watched her son cast furtive glances at the pale, skinny omega, and suddenly those flickering flames ignited into an inferno. The sickening realisation that her son had some sort of...interest in the omega, enraged her, and without conscious thought, she darted forward, grabbed the boy by his throat, and pinned him to the wall. 

"You scheming little trou! How dare you even look-"

The boy headbutted her with shocking force and she cried out in pain. As she released her hold on his throat, he grabbed her arm, drop kicked her to the floor and pinned her arms behind her back. She hit the tiled floor with a thud, and felt the air leave her lungs as she felt his bony knee dig into her back. 

"STILES!" she heard Laura scream, as pain shot down the front of her chest, and black dots danced in front of her eyes. The omega leaned down and looked her directly in the eyes before he spoke. "Fool me once, alpha" he spat at her, before releasing her arms and getting to his feet. 

She felt the pain in her chest and back recede, and pushed off the floor to sit on her knees. Dazed, she massaged her forehead and tried to catch her breath.

"Get up, Talia."

She froze and felt her face heat in embarrassment as she recognised her father's voice. Mentally cursing the piece of trash omega, she pushed off the floor and stood to her feet as gracefully as she could, before turning to face her father. Her father stood at the end of the hall, flanked by a shocked Cora and a frustrated looking David. Tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, she opened her mouth to explain, but was silenced by her father's powerful voice. 

"Did I give you permission to speak?" her father asked as he stepped forward. Shutting her mouth, she shook her head and glanced worridly at her husband. David clenched his jaw and averted his gaze, and just like that, the ground beneath her feet felt less solid than it had a moment ago. 

"I've called Marcus, he'll be driving you home. No more warnings, no more chances; If I see you anywhere near this hospital again, I will have you forcibly removed. If I see you anywhere near my home or my business, I will have you arrested. If you so much as lay a finger on Stiles again, I will have you thrown in jail, right next to Gérard. Do I make myself clear?"

"Dad-" 

Her father narrowed his eyes and straightened to his full height, towering over her. "No more, Talia. Go home." The authority in his voice forced her to lower her gaze, and she nodded shakily before moving toward the elevator. 

As the doors to the elevator opened, she glanced back at her family and saw her father gently patting the omega's shoulder, before speaking quietly with Derek. Swallowing the rage that was threatening to choke her, she stepped into the elevator car and stared directly into the omega's eyes. As the doors to the elevator closed, she realised that today marked the second time in her life that an omega had stolen the people she loved. 

 

***************************

 

Rain pelted against the windows of the limo and Kate shivered as they pulled up in front of the police station. Her mother sat beside her talking on the phone with some Senator or another; since news of the 'scandal' first broke, the Senators who had promised their support of the bill and her run for Governor, were now scattering faster than rats fleeing a sinking ship. Her mother had been on the phone all morning doing damage control, but the pinched look on her face told Kate all she needed to know. 

"Of course Senator Lake, I understand...no, no...uh huh...yes, I'll speak to my contact at the CCA and get back to you. Have a good day Senator." Her mother dropped the faux pleasant voice as soon as she ended the call, and pounded her fist against the leather seat. "Fucking spineless turncoat! We donate millions to that pigs campaign in return for his vote, and he has the audacity to question my family's ethics?!? Aargh! And where the hell is Richard? His secretary keeps on telling me he's out of the office, but I know that's a lie. What a fucking nightmare!" 

Her mother dropped her head back against the headrest and pinched the bridge of her nose. Kate looked at the dark rings circling her mother's eyes and felt guilt choke the air from her lungs; she'd failed with Richard, and now her mother was paying the price. She laid a hand on her mother's shoulder, and smiled reassuringly.

"It's going to be fine, mom. Come on, let's go and speak to Grandpa, he'll probably be able to find some way out of this mess."

Her mother laughed bitterly and said "he fucking better, seeing as how he got us into it." Kate frowned at the disrespectful tone in her mother's voice, but said nothing as she followed Victoria out of the car and into the police station. 

An old, white haired police officer sat at the front desk reading a local newspaper. Her mother rapped her knuckles on the desk and informed him that they were here to see Gérard Argent. The officer slowly folded his newspaper, and beckoned to a young male officer, instructing him to escort them to the visitors area. The visitors area turned out to be a depressing, cramped little room that was empty save for a cheap, scuffed table and two rickety chairs. Her mother regarded the dirty, rickety chair with distaste and opted to remain standing. 

A moment later, the door was opened and her grandfather was escorted in by a uniformed police officer. She stared in shock at the handcuffs circling her grandfather's wrists, and sharply told the officer to take them off. The beta removed the cuffs and left the room, closing the door behind him. 

"I was wondering when you would finally find time to visit" her grandfather said, before sitting down in one of the chairs and crossing his legs. She saw two red dots appear on her mother's cheeks and felt the tension in the small room grow thick and cloying. 

"We're sorry Grandpa. Mom's been dealing with the fallout of...uhm...of...this" she made a vague gesture toward the closed door "...and I didn't know what had happened until a couple of hours ago."

Gérard narrowed his eyes at her and asked where she'd been all morning. She blushed a bright red and stammered out something about a late night with 'friends'. Her grandfather swept his gaze over the length of her body, and nodded, before turning back to Victoria. 

"Where are we at with the bill?" 

Her mother flicked her gaze between the two of them in suspicion, and furrowed her brow. Kate chewed nervously on her lip, and dropped her gaze to the cement floor. Her grandfather pounded his fist on the table and demanded that her mother answer him. Her mother jumped at the harsh tone of his voice, and quickly gave him an overview of the situation. Kate listened quietly and watched her grandfather grow steadily angrier as her mother recounted the disasters of the past few hours. 

"Where the hell is Richard?" her grandfather barked at her once her mother had finished her sorry tale with a sigh. Her mother appeared bemused by the query, and asked him why he thought her daughter would know anything about Richard's whereabouts. Before the loaded silence that followed that question could be broken, her mother's phone buzzed loudly in her hand. 

"Gérard, it's Senator Hyland, I'm going to have to take this. Excuse me for a minute" her mother said, before exiting the room with the phone already clamped to her ear. 

Kate bit the inside of her cheek and crossed her arms across her chest as the door slammed shut behind her mother. 

"Where is Richard, Kate?" her grandfather asked in a clipped voice. She felt shame flood through her as she quietly told him what had happened this morning. 

"I...I'm sorry Grandpa" she whispered, as the overhead lights flickered and hummed. Her grandfather beckoned her to his side, and she dropped to her knees and laid her head on his thigh as she choked out another apology. She felt the muscle of his thigh tense under her, and her stomach churned at having disappointed him. Her grandfather had always been the rock she'd clung to; while her mother had been busy climbing up the government ladder and her father had been preoccupied with running the family business, it had always been her grandfather's strong shoulders she had leaned on. He'd asked so little of her and she'd failed him. The failure was bitter and acidic on her tongue and she felt bile hit the back of her throat. 

"Kate?" 

She choked back her tears and looked up at her grandfather desperately, another apology already falling from her lips. Her grandfather looked at her quietly for a moment, and she wiped the tears from her cheeks in embarrassment. 

"Grandp-"

She didn't even see it coming, never did really; only heard the sharp 'thwack' of his heavy hand slapping against her cheek. Her head snapped back at the impact and she toppled to the floor. Her cheek felt as though someone had taken a blow torch to it, but she clapped a hand to her mouth and stifled her pained whimpers. 

"I ask one thing, Kate, one simple thing! And you can't even do that, you pathetic, useless child! Get out" he commanded in a cold voice. 

Her body trembled as she picked herself up off the floor and reached for the door. She loosened her hair and pulled it forward to cover her stinging cheek as she stepped out of the room. Rushing past her mother, who was returning to the visitors area, she mumbled something about needing some air, and ran out of the station and back into safety of their limo. By the time her mother emerged from the station over an hour and a half later, she had tossed back three large tumblers of scotch, and had applied enough foundation that the handprint tattooing her face was barely visible. 

"Where to now?" she asked her irritated mother. Victoria directed the driver to the hospital and sighed.  
"I think it's time to see your father." 

 

************************

 

His hand hovered over the dotted line hesitantly as guilt and doubt plagued his mind. Chris dropped the pen and pushed it, and the statement away. William was right; his father was sick, and he deserved to be punished for the decades of pain he'd inflicted on those around him, but could he really live with himself if he was the one to hammer the final nail in his father's coffin? His father may be a sick, manipulative, narrow minded bigot, but he was also his father; the man who'd raised him by himself, after his mother abandoned them when he was just a child. Frustrated and angry, he reached for the small flask of liquor he'd bribed one of the orderlies to bring him, and gulped down the amber liquid. As the liquor burned his throat, he stared out at the thick, dark clouds and the heavy rain, and closed his eyes. 

In the dim, antiseptic room, with the sound of the rain pattering against the window, he thought of Peter; of his honey sweet scent, the clean taste of his skin, the heat of his mouth, and the sound of his laugh. Memories of that blissful year spent in his mates arms, flooded his every sense, until he was sure he could feel Peter's fingers against his mouth. Chris wrenched open his eyes, and with trembling hands, picked up the pen. Father or not, Gérard had to be stopped, and if he had to be the one to stop him, then so be it. He signed the statement and called for the officers waiting outside his room. He handed over the signed and sealed statement, and thanked the officers for their patience, before messaging William to let him know that he'd done what he'd promised. 

Ten minutes after the officers left, his wife and daughter strode into his room and locked the door behind them. Neither woman bothered to say hello or ask about his health, but he didn't expect much else; they'd never really been a 'cuddly' family. Victoria stared at his stump in distaste, before setting down her chanel handbag and taking a seat on the chair beside his bed, a blue file clutched tightly in her hands. He ignored her and stared at his daughter's swollen cheek in horror. 

"Kate, what the hell happ-"

He was cut off by Victoria, who threw the file as his face and hissed "what the fuck were you thinking? Do you have any idea what you've done? In saving your little whore, not only did you manage to derail my entire gubernatorial race, you also crippled yourself. Congratulations Chris! That trou must have been a really good fuck for you to risk our entire future for him...maybe it's time for the world to see just how well he take-"

Later, he'd wonder how it happened, but all he knew was that before his bitch of a wife could finish the threat, he had somehow managed to launch himself off the bed and tackle her to the floor with his hands tight around her throat. Pain shot down his flank to his stump and beads of sweat rolled down his back as he leaned his face into his wife's. 

"Finish that sentence and I'll choke the life out of you without even blinking. Understand?" Victoria clawed at his hands and glared at him, but nodded anyway. "Good..." he spat, before releasing his hold on her throat "...now, let me tell you what's going to happen, Victoria..."

 

TBC.......


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek deals with an unexpected fallout from the shooting....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, enjoy! This fic is kicking my a** but I'm so happy that so many of you are enjoying it. Thank you for your kudos and comments, guys! 
> 
> Btw, do not write fics on your phone, it is most annoying!
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

The rain had long since ceased but water still accumulated in large puddles around the grounds of the hospital, and Stiles smiled as he watched a kid jumping around in a particularly large pool of water before being dragged away by a flustered woman. It had been an especially long, shitty day, and he yawned as the street lights flickered to life. He turned away from the window when he heard the door to Peter's hospital room being opened. A young male nurse smiled at him as he stepped into the room, before quietly making his way to Peter's bedside to check his vitals. Stiles glanced across the room to see Mr. Hale sprawled across the cramped couch in the corner, eyes closed and head tucked into his shoulder as he slept. 

The nurse finished his checks and left the room, gently closing the door behind him. Stiles walked across the room to the couch, and covered Mr. Hale with the thick blanket that lay over the back of an armchair. Perks of having fantastic health insurance? Complimentary fluffy blankets and decent seating. Satisfied that his employer wouldn't freeze to death overnight, he quietly gathered his things and moved to Peter's bedside to say goodbye before he left the hospital for the night. 

Peter lay pale and bruised in the narrow hospital bed, with tubes and needles protruding from various parts of his body. As he glanced at the various machines surrounding Peter, he realised how strange it was to see the usually indomitable omega looking so battered and vulnerable, and it served as a stark reminder of the fragility of an omega's life. Stiles pulled the bed sheet up over Peter's chest and squeezed his hand, before exiting the room. The harsh fluorescent lighting in the hallway made him wince, and he palmed his face wearily as he made his way towards the elevator. Pressing the button to call the car, he slumped against the wall, and leaned his head back before closing his tired eyes. 

He didn't notice the sound at first. It was only when he heard a loud cry and opened his eyes, that he finally registered the distressed whines emanating from Derek's room. The door to the alpha's room stood open, and now that he was paying attention, he could hear Derek moaning in a cracked, hoarse voice. What the hell was wrong with Derek now? Stiles looked around the deserted hallway and cursed his life; fucking typical, Derek the shockingly not so huge dick, needed help and there wasn't a nurse or doctor in sight. Sighing in defeat, he reluctantly stepped into the alpha's dark room and walked to Derek's bedside. 

Sweat dampened the alpha's brow and he thrashed violently on the bed as his face contorted into an expression of pure terror. Derek fisted the bed sheet beneath him and curled his body into a tight ball, before choking out a name; Alice. Stiles glanced back at the empty doorway and furrowed his brow. What was he supposed to do? He had no idea if the alpha was sick or was simply suffering through a particularly nasty nightmare. As Derek's whines and groans got louder, and the trembling of his body grew in intensity, Stiles mentally cursed the absent medical staff, and reached out to touch the alpha's shoulder. The gown covering Derek's shoulder was damp with sweat and Stiles could feel the scorching heat of the alpha's skin under his fingertips. 

He cautiously ran his hand up and down the tight muscles of Derek's back, while making soothing noises to try to calm the terrified alpha. He grimaced as memories of his father shuddering in pain and clutching his small hand in desperation, returned to him. What was his life, seriously? Derek's breathing finally evened out, the muscles in his back relaxed, and Stiles gently lifted his hand from the sweat slicked back. As he turned to walk away, a strong, clammy hand grasped his wrist and pulled him back against a muscled chest. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Derek's face inches from his, but the alpha didn't even look at him, instead his eyes were fixed on a dark corner of the room. Fuck! Fuck! No fucking good deed, he thought to himself, as he struggled to escape the cage of Derek's arms. 

The alpha tightened his hold and Stiles froze when he felt Derek's thick beard scratching his cheek. He felt the alpha's lips at his ear and the muscular body at his back begin to tremble. A paw like hand cupped his jaw, before a thick finger pressed against his lips. 

"Ssshhh...you have to keep quiet. Just keep quiet, ok? I promise...I won't let anything happen to you, just -" Derek paused and Stiles felt the hold around his waist tighten further. "They're here..." the alpha whispered breathlessly, before spinning him around, slamming him against the wall and covering his body with his own. 

Stiles pushed against the solid chest in front of him, but Derek just pressed in closer. Angry and frustrated, he bent his knee to kick Derek the huge, massive, colossal dick, in the crotch, but froze as he heard what the alpha was muttering under his breath. 

"Ssshh, I'm gonna get you out of here Alice, just gotta keep quiet, stay hidden....I'm not gonna let anything happen to you, just gotta keep quiet, stay hidden." 

Alice? Oh fuck...the poor bastard. Stiles shook his head in pity as he realised what was happening, and looked up at the worried, scared face of one seriously damaged alpha. Derek's head was turned to the side, his eyes still fixed on the dark corner of the room. Beads of sweat rolled down his face and his body shook against Stiles' smaller frame. 

"Derek?" he whispered, as he gently laid his hands on the alpha's face and pulled his gaze from the dark, empty corner. "Hey, look at me! They're gone, alright? We're safe...you're safe" he assured, even as Derek shook his head and pressed in closer. Stiles moved his hands to the back of the alpha's neck, and pulled him down so as to rest his damp forehead against his own. Making sure to look directly into those stormy green eyes, he tightened his hold on the alpha, and said "I promise, they're gone. I'm safe, you're safe...Derek...we're safe." 

Derek frowned and stared at him in confusion, before touching trembling fingers to Stiles' cheek. Stiles furrowed his brow and swallowed nervously as his skin beneath the alpha's fingertips tingled and heated. In an instant, the fear and concern on the alpha's face was replaced by horror. Derek wrenched his body away from the wall and stumbled back, before rubbing his eyes. Stiles took a tentative step forward and reached out, hoping to...fuck, who knows?! Cursing, he pulled his hand back and waited for the alpha to break the silence; if for nothing else than to assure him that he was ok. 

"I'm sorry...I didn't mean...I thought..." 

Stiles ran a hand through his hair awkwardly and said "no, no, it's uhm...it's fine dude...listen I'm...I'm gonna go. I'll let the nurse know about...uhm...y'know, so yeah, night!", before rushing out of the room. Thank fuck a nurse had reappeared sometime during the last twenty minutes! Stiles quickly asked her to check on Derek before practically running into the elevator. 

He stared at his reflection in the mirrored wall for a moment, before thumping his head against it and muttering "stupid, stupid, stupid". 

 

***************************

 

Derek watched the sunrise through the cloudy hospital window, and rubbed his blood shot eyes. After Stiles ran out of his room last night, he hadn't been able to get back to sleep, though he doubted that was a bad thing if last night was any indication. He still had no idea what had happened, only that one minute he was closing his eyes to get some much needed sleep, and the next he was pressed up against Stiles in the darkness of his room. The omega's sweet scent still perfumed the stale hospital air, and he clenched his fists as he recalled how close he'd been to Stiles last night. What the fuck had happened? After everything...what the hell had he almost done? 

He was pulled from his thoughts when the door to his room was thrown open by a sweaty, 6 ft 3 mass of shredded muscle. Boyd wiped the sweat from his brow and deposited the laptop case on the night stand. 

"Good run?" he asked. 

Boyd grabbed a bottle of water from the night stand and held up a finger. Crumpling the now empty bottle in his hand, he tossed it into the bin, and collapsed on the chair beside the bed. 

"Sixteen miles in shit weather, carrying that thing..." he gestured to the laptop case "...sure, it was the best fucking run of my life." 

Derek arched his brow, reached for the case, and switched on his stupidly expensive laptop. "Touchy this morning. Training kicking your ass?"

Much to the displeasure of his parents, his lifelong friend had recently told them that he had applied to join the US naval force. Given his academic and athletic background, he'd been accepted almost immediately, and was due to begin his training at the Naval Special Warfare Preparatory School in 3 months. Boyd had always been an overachiever, so of course, if he was going to be a naval officer then he was going to join only the most elite unit; the SEALS. At the recruitment fair, the recruiting officer had taken one look at Derek's file, and had bent over backwards to try to convince him to sign up along with Boyd, but he'd choked back a 'fuck no' and politely refused. He may be built like the typical alpha, but the army thing had always been Boyd's dream; Derek preferred conducting his wars via his keyboard. Guns and bombs were way too unreliable and messy. 

Boyd flipped him the bird, before glancing at his laptop, and adopting a nervous expression. "By the way, you might wanna check YouTube; there's this new video that's going viral...and I think you should see it" 

Derek frowned at the nervous look on Boyd's face and checked the YouTube homepage. His frown deepened when he saw the list of recently uploaded popular videos, and saw the thumbnail for the most viewed video. That looked like...no...it couldn't be. The title of the video read 'Omega's are human beings - an alpha's truth', and thus far, it had amassed over a million hits. Derek checked the date of the upload and saw that it had been uploaded late last night, by someone calling themselves...ugh...'Warriors for truth'. 

He clicked on the link and froze as he saw...himself. What the fuck?!? He watched with mounting horror as yesterday's confrontation with his mother was replayed in high definition, for the whole world to see. The image blurred out of focus at times, and it had been shot at a distance, but every single word that had passed between him and his mother could be heard clear as day. For fuck sake, the video had even been subtitled! In five languages! What. The. Fuck? 

"Derek? Hey man, you don't look so good" he heard Boyd say as his vision tunneled to the last image on the screen; his mother looking devastated as he turned his back on her. No. No fucking way! He couldn't let this video stay up; it would fuck up whatever was left of his family...and fuck! what if Cam saw it? He tapped away furiously at the keyboard as he heard Boyd talking to somebody in the background. 

"Look, I'm sorry - uh...what's your name? " 

"Erica. I'm the nurse on staff this morning, and I just need to -" 

"Yeah, like I said, Derek's a bit busy right now, would you give us ten minutes?" he heard Boyd ask. 

"Ten minutes huh?" the nurse asked flirtatiously. He heard the smile in Boyd's voice as he assured her they'd only be ten minutes and thanked her for her patience. He glanced up and saw a head of black hair walk out the door, before turning back to his laptop. It took him 10 minutes to hack the account and delete the video, then the channel, and another 5 minutes to realise that he couldn't trace its source. He erased his steps, and slammed the laptop shut before grabbing a water bottle and throwing it at the wall in frustration. 

"D...that video's everywhere, what was the-"

He cut his friend off and growled "I know, I fucking know! Dammit! Fuck, Boyd...that video..." 

Boyd clapped him on the shoulder and moved the laptop to the night stand. "I know, man, I know".

 

**************************

 

Erica Reyes stripped out of the cheap nurses uniform and stuffed it in the duffel bag alongside the fake hospital ID, the black wig and the glasses. Sitting down on an overturned crate, she logged onto YouTube and smiled when she saw that not only had the video been deleted, but the channel had been too.

She remotely logged onto Derek Hale's laptop (thank you very much hunky best friend for taking a rest break and leaving the laptop unattended for a minute) and saw that the GQ model had been trying to find the video's source. Yeah, good luck with that pretty boy, she thought, as she installed a virus that would destroy the alpha's computer. She bowed her head and took a minute to mourn the beautiful machine she'd just wrecked, before switching off her laptop and placing it gently inside the bag. 

Erica lifted the bag onto her shoulder and pulled the hood of her pullover over her blonde hair, before discreetly exiting the 'employees only' room. She ensured her gait was relaxed but walked as quickly as could out of the hospital. As she disappeared into the morning crowds, she pulled out her phone and coordinated with Oliver in Germany, and Neil in London. It was time the world met Derek Hale. 

 

TBC.........


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> William and Chris make some difficult decisions, and Derek gets a surprise visitor....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and as always thank you so much for your very, very kind comments and continued support. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"William, you cannot keep -"

William cut her off with a look and returned to his newspaper. In his peripheral vision, he saw the brunette clench her jaw and fold her arms across her chest stubbornly. He sighed and set down the newspaper he'd been reading, before leaning back into the sofa and fixing his gaze on the good Doctor. 

"Melissa, I'm not asking, I'm instructing; give me the pills." 

She studied him silently for a minute and huffed in frustration, before removing a bottle of pills from her lab coat. Stepping forward, she slammed the bottle onto the small coffee table in front of him with surprising force, and shook her head.   
"There are people who love and care for you, William. What you're doing isn't fair." 

He smiled and arched a brow as he opened the bottle and swallowed a couple of pills. 

"If life was fair, Melissa, do you really think I'd be sat here today?" he asked, glancing pointedly to her left. She sighed before turning to look at Peter, and he saw the righteous indignation from a moment ago disappear. 

"How is everyone coping with everything?" she asked , as she moved to Peter's bedside and stroked his hair. The two had been good friends for many years, and he knew how hard the news of Peter's abduction had hit her.

William heaved his tired body off the sofa, walked across to the large window, and looked down at the huge crowds of people holding colourful placards and glittery banners. Shortly after the release of Derek's video, hundreds of men, women, and children had begun converging on the hospital grounds to show their support for the omegas, many of them chanting Derek's name. William still could not believe the thousands of messages of support his grandson had received over the past two days, though he was thankful that they far outnumbered the messages of hate and threats of death. Derek himself was still in a state of shock, as was the entire family. 

"They're coping as best they can. It's been a tough few weeks" he said quietly, as a loud cheer rang through the crowd below. He wondered what had elicited such a joyous reaction from the crowd as Melissa asked him the one question he didn't have the strength to answer. 

"And Talia?" 

William sighed heavily and rubbed his eyes, before turning to face the concerned beta. 

"I suspect my daughter will remain defiant till the end, but I'll deal with her soon enough. As for David and the children, well...they must make their own decisions." 

Before Melissa could respond, a sharp knock sounded at the door and a moment later Jonathan Moore stepped into the room. His friend glanced at Melissa and apologised for interrupting. 

"No, no, it's fine Jonathan; I should be getting back to the Centre in any case..." she said, before turning back to him "...take care of yourself William. I'll drop in tomorrow morning, but if you need anything before then, give me a call". He didn't miss the subtle meaning of her words or the narrowing of her eyes, and nodded without argument. Melissa watched him intently a moment longer, then left the room with a parting smile to Jonathan. 

"Rough day?" his friend asked. 

"You could say that" he responded as he felt a flash of pain run across his chest 

Jonathan extracted a thick manila folder from his briefcase and handed it to him, before checking on Peter. After a few minutes at his son's bedside, Jonathan moved to sit on the sofa, and waited patiently while he reviewed the documents. 

"And you're sure this can't be challenged?" he asked, flipping through the pages a second time. Jonathan shook his head and looked at him thoughtfully. 

"It's iron clad, don't worry. William...are you absolutely certain about this?" 

William glanced at his son and thought back to the ugly events of the past week. He disliked dealing in absolutes, but after watching his daughter over the past few weeks, he was as certain as he could be that he was doing the right thing. Patting his friend on the shoulder, he reached for a pen and quietly signed the documents under Jonathan's watchful gaze. 

 

**************************

 

Stiles stood at the entrance to the hospital, with his phone in hand, and smiled when the crowd erupted in cheers.

"What's going on?" 

He turned to see Melissa walking towards him, her keys in hand, and a bemused expression on her face. 

"The attorney general just announced that the state intends to prosecute Gérard...they're charging him with abduction and attempted murder" he told her, laughing in disbelief as he watched the crowds waving their placards. 

"Does William know?" he heard her ask in a hoarse voice. Frowning, he turned to see Melissa glancing back at the hospital with tears rolling down her cheeks. Stiles touched the beta's arm gently and scrolled through his phone to make the call. 

"He's about to" he told her as the call finally connected. "Mr. Hale? There's something you should know..."

 

***************************

 

The reporters and photographers swarmed the car as he and Boyd pulled up to the gate leading to the house, and Derek groaned in frustration. Two days. It had been two days of this nonstop bullshit, and he was exhausted. Ever since that video had been released, he'd been receiving call after call from the esteemed, and the not so esteemed, in the media begging for an interview. He'd almost choked on his tongue when he heard the ridiculous amount Oprah's people had offered. He'd even had a few ambitious photographers sneak into the hospital to try to capture his bruised face on camera. 

Antsy and frustrated, he'd finally begged his grandfather and his doctor to let him return home. His doctor had checked him out and cleared him for discharge, but his grandfather had insisted he stay with him at the estate until things at home stabilised. If he was honest, the thought of having to deal with his mother made his head pound and his palms sweat, so his grandfather's offer of a place to stay had come as a relief and he'd accepted it gratefully. 

He was pulled from his thoughts by Boyd shouting beside him. "Hey! Stop that! I'm not gonna tell you again; back the fuck off!" 

He turned to see Boyd yelling at a greasy haired photographer who appeared to be manically trying to pry open the car door. Derek pulled the cap lower over his forehead and slumped down in the passenger seat. All this over a five minute video? The world had officially lost its fucking mind. He saw a couple of his grandfather's newly hired security personnel hold back the throng of reporters, and sighed in relief as the gates finally opened. Two minutes later, he was opening his grandfather's front door and a minute after that, he was collapsed on the couch. Boyd set his laptop case down by the credenza and asked him if he'd be alright by himself. Derek laughed and assured his friend that he'd be fine, before thanking him for the lift and waving him off. 

Realising he could still smell the stale scent of the hospital on his skin, he picked up his laptop case, and slowly walked up the staircase, already fantasising about a long, hot shower. He walked to the room at the end of the hallway and threw his laptop on the bed, before quickly stripping out of his clothes. 

"My, my, what a day to leave the house without my roll of $1 bills." 

Derek cursed, and almost broke his neck as he spun around to see a leggy blonde with blood red lips leaning against the door frame. He saw the blonde's eyes move slowly down his body, before pausing at his crotch. 

"Hmmm, I think that thing deserves a higher denomination of bill. How'd you feel about tens?" she asked, sounding genuinely curious, as he glared at her and scrambled to cover his naked body. 

The woman laughed and brushed past him to take a seat on the bed behind him. Derek pulled on the sweats he'd removed only moments ago, and turned to look at the blonde with a furious expression. If she was another reporter or god forbid, another fucking photographer, he was about to punch a hole in the wall. 

"Who the hell are you? And what the fuck do you think you're doing here?" he asked furiously. The blonde rolled her eyes and leaned back on the bed on her forearms, her black tank pulling up to reveal a flat, taught stomach. A shiny purple stud decorated her belly button, and he saw the thick lines of a tattoo disappear under her shirt. 

"Oh relax GQ, I'm not a reporter or a pap. I'm just a humble omega, standing in front of a delicious alpha, asking him to help her" she said in an amused tone, as she pushed off the bed and moved toward him. He frowned as the blonde closed in, and shifted uncomfortably when she swept an interested gaze down his bare torso. 

"Are you...propositioning me?" he asked uncertainly, because...what the the fuck was happening?! The blonde leaned in close and laughed.

"As appealing as all of this is...." she gestured to his chest and abdomen "...I'm actually more interested in what's up here" she said tapping his forehead. Completely confused and quickly loosing patience, he stepped back and folded his arms across his chest. 

"Ok, enough. You have five mintues to tell me who you are, and what you want, before I throw you out."

The blonde arched a defined golden brow and smiled widely. "I'd love to see you try GQ, but unfortunately, we don't have time for fun and games today..." she said, before extending her hand in greeting "...my name's Erica and I'm here to recruit your fine ass". 

Derek fought the urge to roll his eyes and gritted his teeth; it'd be just his luck to encounter a nutcase the very day he was released from the hospital. Playing along while discreetly reaching for the cell phone in his pocket, he asked "recruit my fine ass for what, exactly?" 

Erica smiled widely, her ruby lipped smile looking almost predatory. "To bring down the establishment and liberate omegas around the world, of course. So GQ, are you in, or are you in?"

 

**************************

 

President Aaron Haye watched the shaky footage in silence as the alpha on screen railed passionately against the 'oppression of omegas'. The cellphone footage had been uploaded to YouTube by an untraceable source 2 days ago, and had thus far amassed 7.5 million hits. Despite the crude quality of the video, it had become an international talking point and had featured prominently on news channels across the world. According to his staff, the alpha in the video; Derek Hale, had overnight, gone from an inconsequential pretty boy to the international voice of the progressive movement. His speech encapsulated everything the progressives believed was wrong with the country. That the man hailed from a prominent, affluent family and looked like a movie star only added to his allure. 

After the international backlash the US had received over the events of the past week, namely the mass shooting and the kidnapping of an eminent omega by a vocally anti-omega alpha, not to mention the screw up with the Amy Wells case, he had hoped that the coming weeks would be uneventful. Had prayed in fact, for a few quiet months to repair the damage the last few weeks had wrought on the US's reputation on the world stage. Given the international response to this video, however, evidently, this was not to be the case. 

He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, already feeling the first stirrings of a headache behind his eyes. The video finally came to an end, and a staffer switched on the lights to reveal the worried faces of a dozen or so people. The room was filled with some of the most powerful people in the free world, yet all of them looked as though they'd just sat through a snuff film; equal parts fascinated and horrified. 

"Can you imagine the flack we're going to get from the Europeans?" asked his VP George Boothe. 

"Going to get? I've had meetings with over half a dozen ambassadors in the last 24 hours alone, all of whom were vocal in their opposition to the bill. Jeremy Harrison was particularly unhappy, and has advised that the Prime Minister wishes to meet as soon as possible" said his ambassador to the UN; Teresa Grayson, sounding annoyed and exhausted. 

Aaron sighed and flicked through the stack of reports in front of him. They'd expected resistance from their more liberal allies, given that the new law would affect all omegas resident in the state of California, whether American or foreign national. But he hadn't given too much thought to soothing their concerns, given that the law had the support of not only many of those in his party, but also of the billionaire individuals who had donated handsomely to his election campaign.

However, after the multiple shit storms of the past week, and the resulting international and domestic fallout, he and his team had been forced to reconsider their position.   
He was up for reelection in 2 years, and he could ill afford to lose a large chunk of his voter base because of one bill. After the mass shooting, even the most ardent supporters of the bill had softened their stance and retracted their support. The images of dozens of dead bodies and blood stained streets had shaken the American public, and no amount of flowery prose would quell the outrage. Glancing at the exhausted faces of the men and women sat around the table, he sighed and came to a difficult decision. The only decision really. 

"I'm vetoing it. To pass it now will cause damage that we're simply not equipped to deal with at the moment. We can revisit the issue at a later date. Teresa, liaise with my staff and set up that meeting with the PM. Ben?" he called his senior aide, who rushed over "let's work on the speech, I want the language to be as toned down as possible, while still expressing sympathy for the events of the past week. Nothing provocative, understood?" 

Ben nodded and scribbled away on his notepad. Aaron reached for his cup of coffee and settled in for the inevitable back and forth.

 

*************************

 

Chris wheeled up to the open doorway and paused as he caught sight of the battered omega surrounded by various machines. The pale light filtering through the blinds fell across Peter's face, and he winced as saw the deep purple bruising that marred the omega's face. Tucking the manila envelope under his thigh, he gripped the wheels of the wheelchair and pushed himself close to Peter's bedside. With trembling fingers, he gently caressed the omega's arm, before wrapping his hand around Peter's wrist. 

"Hey Pete. I know I'm probably the last person you want to see, but I'm sorry...I couldn't stay away..." he said quietly, as he rubbed his thumb along Peter's wrist and sat back in the wheelchair "... I never could." 

Chris closed his eyes, trying to ignore the pain that was now a constant companion, and concentrated on the feel of Peter's warm skin beneath his fingertips. He frowned when he heard the crinkle of paper beneath him and reluctantly opened his eyes. Releasing his hold on the omega, he pulled out the envelope from beneath his thigh and removed the papers contained within. His lawyer had dropped off the paperwork this morning and had asked that he review it, before it was officially filed with the courts. Chris glanced up at Peter's bruised face, before sighing and reading the first three words printed in big block letters at the top of the page; 'Petition for Divorce'. 

 

TBC......


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erica explains a few things and Cam deals with some unpleasantness.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Thank you for your kudos and comments. FYI, this chapter refers to events that some may find triggering, so please be aware. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"Watch it, Hale!" 

Cam winced as a beefy shoulder knocked into him, and looked up to see Brett Matthews and his group of asshole sycophants laughing as they pushed past him in the hallway. He ignored them, and the quiet sniggering of the other students, and made his way to the cafeteria. God he hated this school. Hated it even more than he had last year, which he truly hadn't thought was possible. Ever since the video of Derek had gone viral, he'd been subjected to increasingly brazen acts of hostility, and he wanted nothing more than to go home to his grandfather. Jackson had been begging him to go to the Principal, but he knew these assholes better than Jackson, and knew that things would just get worse if he did. 

Keeping his head down, he entered the cafeteria and quickly made his way to the table at the back of the hall. Jackson spotted him across the room and waved him over, while holding up a huge bag of reece's pieces. Cam smiled for the first time that day, and snatched the bag from the betas hands before sitting down across from him. 

"Hey! I waited in line ten minutes for those! And it's the last bag! Share, you dick!" 

Cam shoved a handful of delicious peanut butter goodness into his mouth, and smiled while clutching the orange bag tightly to his chest. Jackson lunged across the table and tried to grab the candy, but stumbled and fell face first onto the table top. Cam stared at the beta as he grimaced and rubbed his reddening nose, before exploding in laughter. Jackson simply rolled his eyes and sat back on his chair. He popped another piece of candy into his mouth and licked the chocolate from his fingers as the beta mock glared at him. 

"Hey, Hale? Why don't you come over here? I promise I'll give you something better to suck on! Then you can go tell your pathetic brother how much you liked it" yelled an obnoxious alpha a few grades above them, from the next table. The cafeteria erupted in laughter, but he swallowed the hurt and turned to the muscled meat head preening at the next table. 

"From what I've heard, Kyle, there's not much to suck on. Right, Drew?" he asked the flushed beta sat beside Kyle. The laughter was much more subdued this time round, but he heard Jackson's snort of laughter loud and clear, and smirked. Kyle snarled and rushed towards, but before the alpha could reach him, Jackson had jumped over the table and planted himself squarely in front of him. Cam chewed his lip nervously; Jackson was a lot smaller than Kyle, and he didn't want his friend hurt because of him. 

"Jackson..." the beta glanced back and winked.

"Where's the sword of diamondra when you need it, right?" 

Cam scowled and opened his mouth to tell the beta that this wasn't a freaking game! Before he could say anything, however, Ms. Lureman approached the cluster of boys and raised her eyebrows. 

"Everything ok here boy's?" she asked, looking pointedly at Kyle's annoyed expression and clenched jaw. Cam sighed in relief and nodded, before grabbing Jackson's arm and pulling him out of the cafeteria. The beta waved his fingers at Kyle and yelled a "see ya later, Ms. L" to the amused teacher. He pulled his obviously crazy friend into an empty classroom and rounded on him, ready to yell at him for being such an idiot. Jackson hopped onto a desk and raised his arms, flexing his non existent muscles, and just like that, he forgot about yelling at his friend and burst out laughing. 

"You're such a dork" he snorted as Jackson jumped off the desk and took a bow. 

"Hey! I just defended your skinny ass-" 

"Right. If Ms. L hadn't shown up, Kyle would be wiping the floor with you right now." Jackson opened his mouth to speak, then paused and shrugged.

"Eh, maybe. But duuude, how funny was your dick joke?" asked Jackson as he doubled over laughing. Cam watched the blonde and shook his head fondly; this school may be a piece of shit but atleast he'd met Jackson. As they exited the classroom a few mintues later he felt a strange ache in his belly, but ignored it as he scoffed at another one of Jackson's lame jokes. 

 

***************************

 

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed as Erica bounced around the room. He'd spent the last hour having the most surreal conversation of his life and he was having trouble absorbing what he'd just been told. 

"So, to clarify..." Erica dropped the antique clock she'd been holding, and turned to look at him "....you're telling me you're part of an underground, highly secretive, omega rights group by the name of Ill- uh...Il-"

"Illumina" she inserted. 

"Right, of course, Illumina, how could I forget?" he asked facetiously, as the omega jumped on the bed. "And that this group, that you claim you work with, works to expose those who surpress and exploit omegas, as well as work towards educating the general public about the everyday injustices that omega's suffer. And you do all this by...?"

Erica had kicked off her shoes and now smiled down at him as she bounced on the bed. "By monitoring the activities of governments and law enforcement agencies, as well as digging into the financials of those who benefit most from the continued suppression of omegas. And releasing the information to the public on every single platform available to us. In short; we follow the money."

He nodded and continued; "of course, and you want me to..?"

The blonde rolled her eyes and back flipped atop the bed. Derek watched her, open mouthed. How in the hell didn't she just break her neck?

"We want you to spread the good word, alpha" she said cheekily as she stopped bouncing, before looking at him seriously. "Derek, you're unique in that you have unfettered access to some of the most powerful people in the country. Your family has visited the White House three times in the last 5 years alone, and thanks to your mother, you're a regular dinner guest of a number of key players in the conservative movement. You have access Derek, and that's something no one in Illumina has." She watched him intently for a moment and smiled, before asking "how nuts do you think I am?" 

"Very" 

Derek cursed as he realised he'd said that aloud. He didn't mean to offend the omega, and he was sure she believed what she was telling him, but honestly it all sounded like nonsensical bullshit to him. Secret groups? Government surveillance? The omega was clearly in need of help, and he intended to see that she received it. 

"Erica, look I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

"You're name is Derek William Hale. You were born on May 10th 1992 at 18:52 at Beacon Hills Memorial Hospital. You graduated from the prestigious Bruton Manor with honours last year, and were offered an engineering scholarship by Stanford University, which you rightly turned down given your background. You still intend to study at Stanford and plan to major in Computer Sciences with a focus on algorithms and data structure, though you discussed the option of studying advanced mathematics as a second focus. You've spent the last 6 months travelling the world, in part with your girlfriend, sorry ex - girlfriend, Katherine Argent, and are due to commence your studies in the fall. For some unfathomable reason, you speak and act like a moron in public, but you test off the charts, and while you'd like people to think you spent the last 6 months screwing your bimbo girlfriend's brains out, I know for a fact you spent the majority of the last 6 months providing a number of NGO's and non profits with IT assistance. I know you tried everything to save the life of Alice Roberts 3 days ago, and that her death devastated you. I also know that you love your brother Cameron James Hale and would do anything to protect him. I'm not crazy, Derek, the world is. I'm simply offering you the chance to restore a little sanity." 

Erica folded her arms across her chest and watched him quietly, as he struggled to comprehend what had just happened. Some of what she'd just said could easily be discovered with a simple Google search, but his charity work? Nobody knew about that. He'd always travelled discreetly and had even used a pseudonym when liaising with organisations face to face. Hell, it was the reason he hadn't shaved for 6 months; he didn't want anybody to know about his charitable work because it was the one thing in his life that was exclusively his. Because of his last name, everything in his life had always been so public that the anonymity he found in his work with charities had always provided him with a measure of peace. It was a peace that he guarded fiercely, and that this crazy, blonde omega knew anything about it, both shocked and angered him. 

"How do you- no, you know what? I've had enough. I'm fucking done with people thinking they can invade my privacy and use me as a prop. Get the fuck out. Now." 

The omega barely reacted to his acerbic tone, and that just made him angrier. "Get. Out. Now." he spat, taking a menacing step forward. 

Erica tilted her head and stared at him for a moment, looking utterly perplexed, before sighing and picking up the remote from the night stand. His annoyance quickly turned to confusion as she pointed the remote at the TV behind him, and gestured for him to turn around. He glanced back and did a double take when he saw the images on the screen. 

"What the fuck?" he whispered, as he turned to face the TV. The screen displayed an image of a line of young kids, all scantily clad, standing before a group of men and women in dark uniforms. He noted the opulence of the room the children were standing in, and wondered what the hell he was looking at. 

"This is Vietnam 2009. The kids in the picture are all omegas that had recently presented. They were selected for their beauty and their... shall we say receptiveness, and were presented as gifts to the highest ranking military officials. That's the group of assholes you see leering in the corner. The oldest kid in the line up was 14 years old, the youngest was 11. All completely legal." 

The image changed to one showing the lifeless face of a young, olive skinned male. The image zoomed out, and Derek averted his gaze when he saw the young man's brutalised body.

"This is India 2010. His name was Rajesh Kumari. He was a 25 year old bank clerk, who was abducted on his way to work by a group of 5 alphas. They found his body in the back of an abandoned van 3 days later. When brought in for questioning, the alpha's told authorities that Rajesh was in the first stages of heat and that they'd been unable to control themselves. No charges were pressed." 

Derek shook his head and the image changed once again, this time showing a woman staring blankly at the camera with a face so badly bruised it was difficult to discern her features. 

"This was Texas 4 months ago. Her name is Sheila Avery. She's a 36 year old mother of 9, who was, and is currently mated to, the man who heat raped her 12 years ago. After she was raped, she fell pregnant and her rapist wouldn't consent to an abortion. Her family forced her to mate with him after a backlash from the local community, and she's been kept as brood mare ever since. 4 months ago, when she found out she was pregnant again and tried to terminate the pregnancy, the doctor refused to perform the procedure without her alpha present and against her wishes, notified her husband. When he found out, he beat her so badly she was hospitalised for 2 months. According to federal and state law, no crime was committed because she's an omega, and her alpha is allowed to do anything he wants with her."

The image on the screen changed again, but this time it wasn't a still image that was presented to him, but a grainy video of...he frowned, then widened his eyes as he recognised the dunkin donuts van. From the angle of the shot and the date stamp in the corner, he surmised that he was watching CCTV footage of the day of the shooting.

"Don't" he rasped as he watched himself pull Alice behind the van. 

"This is Beacon Hills 3 days ago. Her name was -"

"Stop it" he begged as he watched Alice being dragged from beneath the van.

"- Alice Roberts. She was a 22 year maid who was brutally -"

"Stop." The Derek on screen was shoved to the ground as a masked man behind him pointed the gun at Alice. 

" - murdered by a group of, as of yet, unidentified -"

"I SAID STOP" he said loudly. 

Time seemed to slow as he watched the terrified omega look desperately at the Derek on screen. As the the masked man on screen stepped forward, he rushed at the TV and knocked it to the ground. The screen cracked and darkened as it hit the floor. Derek looked across the room at the stoic omega, and clenched his fists. 

"I don't need to tell you the end of the story, Derek, because they all end the same way; badly. Don't you think it's time for a change?" 

 

*************************

"Dude, are you ok?" 

Cam wiped the sweat from his brow and gulped down a second bottle of water. He binned the empty bottle before turning to look at his worried looking friend. 

"I'm fine, but how hot is it today? They must have the heating cranked all the way up" he said, pressing his forehead to the cool metal of his locker. He felt Jackson step up close behind him and lay a hand gently on his shoulder. 

"Cam? I really think you should go see the nurse. You kinda look -" 

The bell sounded loudly in the halls, signaling the start of the next session, and he pushed off the locker and stumbled to his next class. 

"Oh crap! I'm gonna be late to Chem, sorry Jacks, I gotta go! Bye" he yelled over his shoulder. As he turned the corner, he saw Jackson speaking to someone on the phone with a deep frown on his face. 

 

TBC......


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cam deals with something unexpected and Derek reflects on his choices....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy the new chapter. I'm just realising that I'm waist deep in this thing and Sterek hasn't even begun yet :O ... oops? They're coming...soon, so bare with me readers :-) I hope you've enjoyed the story so far in any case. Thanks for your continued support! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Cam tapped his fingers on the desk and scratched his neck as sweat rolled down his back. He frowned as he saw the paper beneath his hand had dampened from his sweat and huffed in annoyance when he realised all the ink on the page had smudged. He crumpled it up and quickly grabbed another sheet of paper. Clearly ignoring the stomach cramps earlier had been a huge mistake; he must have eaten something funny, he thought, as his insides clenched painfully. He bit the inside of his cheek and tried to focus on the equations on the board. Dammit! Why the hell was it so hot?!

A soft hand touched his forearm and he looked up to see his lab partner; Brooke, leaning into him with a weird smile on her pretty face. He glanced down at her hand on his arm and laughed nervously. 

"Are you ok, Cameron? You look so...hot" she said, leaning even further into him. Cam removed his arm from beneath her hand, and leaned back as far into his chair as he could. The pretty blonde alpha frowned and pouted at him. 

"Y-yeah I'm fine. It's all f-fine, don't-" 

Brooke jumped off her seat and stood closely beside him, before placing her hand on his forehead and tutting. 

"You're burning up! What's wrong, Cam?" the alpha asked, sounding genuinely concerned...which was so freaking weird. Why the hell did Brooke suddenly care about his health? They'd barely spoken in the 4 months they'd been lab partners, given that she was a pretty popular alpha and he was a dorky lonely omega, but suddenly here she was giving a crap? 

"Brooke, I told you I'm- hey! Woah, back the hell up!? Did you just sniff my hair?" he asked incredulously. And by the bemused expressions on his class mates faces, fairly loudly.

He jumped up off his seat, ready to rant at the alpha for being a complete freaking weirdo who obviously had no concept of personal space. He opened his mouth to speak but found himself crying out instead, as an aching, desperate heat burned him from the inside out. He clutched the edge of the desk to steady himself and closed his eyes, as he gritted his teeth and prayed for the pain to pass. He had no idea how long he stood hunched over the desk, only that when he eventually resurfaced, the entire class, including the 72 year old Chem teacher, were staring at him with flushed faces. 

Oh god...oh no...no, no, no! The heat, the aching need, Brooke's strange behaviour...he was in heat. He stumbled to the back of the class and curled himself into a corner, as far as possible from the creepy gaze of his peers. He bit his lip and breathed heavily through his nose as another flash of heat shot through his body. 

"CAM! Hey, Cam? Come on, grab my hand, ok? I'm gonna get you to the nurse." 

Jackson? He opened his eyes and laughed in relief as he saw the worried blue eyes of his friend staring back at him. The beta approached him cautiously, and held out his hand. Cam ignored the heat pooling low in his belly, and grasped his friend's hand desperately. 

"Jackson?"

"It's ok dude, just focus on me and we'll be at the nurse's station in no time. Cam? You gotta focus, ok?" he heard the beta say, as he led him out of the classroom with a hand slung around his waist. Cam leaned heavily against Jackson's skinny shoulder and almost sobbed as he felt his body throb with need. 

"Hey, no dude, it's ok, I got you. Cam? Come on man, stay with me ok, it's just a bit further" Jackson said in a breathless voice. 

He nodded, or atleast tried to, as he dug his nails into the meat of his thigh. The pain cleared his head a little, and he smiled when he saw the nurse's room in front of him. The omega nurse on staff; Nurse Morgan, was waiting outside and he immediately grasped him by the shoulders and swept a hand across his sweaty forehead. Immediately he felt the burning heat calm a little, and he sobbed out a thank you to the smiling omega. The dark haired omega smiled and told him that everything was going to be ok, and that he was going to be looked after. Cam nodded gratefully and followed Nurse Morgan into a sterile white room, housing a surprisingly comfy bed and about a hundred bottles of water. He curled into a ball on top of the bed and didn't even realise he was speaking until Nurse Morgan chuckled and said "I'm sure he knows". 

Cam frowned and asked him what he was talking about. Nurse Morgan looked at him thoughtfully, and said "you were saying thank you over and over again; I was just saying that I'm sure your friend knows how much you appreciated his help today. That's quite a friend you have there."   
The memory of Jackson's worried blue eyes flashed before him, and he nodded in agreement. Nurse Morgan was right, he was lucky to have a friend as awesome as Jackson. And to think, he'd thought the beta was a complete loser the first time they'd met.

 

************************

 

"Where are you going?" 

David paused with his hand on the door and debated whether or not to answer his wife. They'd barely spoken over the last week, and he was still angry that Talia couldn't seem to grasp why everyone around her was so upset with her. He closed his eyes and sighed, before turning around to face his wife. Talia stood on the staircase with her arms folded across her chest and an aggrieved expression on her face. The indignant look in her eyes almost made him walk out the door without saying a word, and he would have if the reason for his departure wasn't their son. 

He watched the colour in her cheeks rise and steeled himself before speaking. "I'm going to collect Cam. The school called and he's gone into heat." Talia froze and he watched the colour drain from her cheeks. 

"B-but how? The doctor -" 

"Now really isn't the time, Talia. I have to get going. I'll see you in a week" he said, before turning back to the door. He heard her thundering down the stairs behind him and sighed. 

"A week?! Why aren't you bringing him home? Answer me, dammit! David?!" 

He ignored her shrieking and opened the door. 

"You can't do this, David, he's my son!"  
she screamed behind him. 

He froze with a one foot out of the door, and felt the walls caging in his fury, crumble to dust. He quietly stepped back into his home, closed the door, and faced his incensed wife. Fisting his hands by his sides, he moved slowly towards her, and let the anger of the last few months bleed out of his mouth. 

"My son?" he said in a low, dangerous voice. "I'm curious, Talia, when did you realise Cam was your son? Was it when you made him cry by denigrating his orientation and reducing omega's to little more than a warm fucking hole?" She flinched at his words, but he didn't stop the vitriol from pouring from his mouth. "Or was it when you let my son leave his home without telling him that his mother wasn't a narrow minded little bigot and that she loved him? Was it when you were holed up with that psychotic fascist bitch, co-authoring legislation that would ultimately deprive our son of even the most basic of human rights? Tell me, Talia, because I'm really fucking curious to know when you realised that the little 'trou' that you've been living with for 11 years is YOUR FUCKING SON!" 

His harsh voice rang loudly through the house, and he saw her tremble before him. Her silence only fueled his anger and made any form of mercy or understanding on his part impossible. He shook his head in disgust and turned his back to her, loathe to even look at her right now. 

"Dad?" 

He grimaced and turned back to see Laura and Cora standing at the top of the staircase, wearing matching expressions of shock and concern. He lowered his gaze to his wife and could think of nothing he wanted to say to this woman, this stranger. Taking a deep, calming breath, he looked up at his daughters and leashed his fury. 

"Dad? What-"

"Girls, it's ok, I'm sorry. I'm...I have to uh..." he paused and glanced at his trembling wife, before sighing and rubbing his tired eyes. "Laura, I'll be gone for a week. Call me only in emergencies, understood?" 

Laura looked uncertainly at Talia, but nodded and smiled weakly at him nonetheless. Unable to stand being near Talia any longer, he turned around and strode out of the door. His son needed him right now, and that need trumped everything. Even his marriage. 

 

*************************

 

The scrap of paper lay on the floor by his feet; crinkled and completely innocuous. A phone number had been scrawled across the paper in messy handwriting, but he had yet to decide whether or not to make the call. He shivered as the cool air drifting in through the open window kissed his bare shoulder. Pulling the sheet from the bed behind him, he wrapped it around his shoulders, and resumed staring at the little slip of paper.

He'd been sitting on the floor, staring at the scrap of paper Erica had left him with for over three hours now, and he was no closer to coming to a decision than he had been three hours ago. The omega's methods of 'recruitment' were abhorrent, but he couldn't deny that the images she'd shown him had left a lasting impression. For 19 years, he'd led a happy, privileged life, untouched by abuse or cruelty or hardship, and while intellectually, he'd understood that there were omega's who struggled to cast off the often inhumane societal roles thrust upon them, that struggle and conflict had never touched him. He was a wealthy alpha with an omega brother and an omega uncle who were happy and loved and cared for. Everything else had just been white noise to him; whispers of a scandal or rumors of a transgression that he'd barely paid attention to as he immersed himself in his love of technology. As he looked from the broken TV across the room to the scrap of paper at his feet, he was deeply ashamed of his apathy. 

In his senior year, after having been approached by a few well known tech companies, he remembered feeling conflicted about what he wanted to do with his life. The vast amounts of money offered to him by the tech giants had been of little interest to him given his own family's immense fortune; what Derek had wanted was a challenge, a purpose that branched beyond the accumulation of wealth. He remembered sitting in one of his last English classes before graduation, feeling frustrated and confused about his future. The little bespectacled italian teacher who'd taught the class had handed out a book about one of her favourite poets, and he remembered the frustration and confusion dissipate as he read the words on page 30.

'To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded'

The reading of that quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson had changed the trajectory of his life. After discussing it at length with his mother, he'd been considering accepting Google's offer, but after that class, he remembered rushing to the library and spending the next few hours researching NGO's and Charities. His mother had been so angry when he'd told her he wanted to take a year out to travel before committing to anything, but she'd given in eventually, as he'd known she would, and he'd left for Nepal straight after graduation. 

Reflecting on the past few weeks, Emerson's quote came to mind and in light of Erica's visit, seemed particularly apropos. He found himself wondering if he had 'succeeded', if one life had breathed easier because of him. He laughed bitterly and shook his head as he recalled Alice's terrified face the day of the shooting. Wiping the tears from his eyes, Derek picked up the scrap of paper from the floor. Erica was right, he thought as images of Cam, Peter, Alice and Stiles, flashed before his eyes; it was time for things to change. 

He was roused from his thoughts by a loud banging on the front door. He frowned and quickly pulled on a shirt, before exiting the bedroom and jogging down the stairs. The loud banging continued as he approached the front door cautiously. He was able to make out the blurry figure of a woman through the glass panels in the door, and paused. Thinking that it may be his mother, he turned around and made to walk back up the stairs. 

"OPEN UP YOU SON OF A BITCH! I KNOW YOU'RE IN THERE! DEREK!!" 

He hung his head and sighed as he recognised the voice. Turning back towards the door, he almost laughed when he caught sight of his hangdog expression in the hallway mirror. He'd barely pulled open the door, when Kate barreled past him into the foyer. Derek closed the door and turned to face his ex - girlfriend, already exhausted at the thought of whatever bullshit argument they were about to have. He froze when he finally caught sight of her, and felt his jaw drop. What the hell had happened to her? The normally immaculate alpha looked dishevelled and manic; her skin was pale and drawn, her eyes were circled by dark rings, her hair hung greasy and lank over her shoulders, and her shirt was dirty and creased. 

"Kate? What -"

She lunged at him and slapped him across the face, hard, before punching and scratching at his face. He froze in shock for a moment, but cried out in pain as he felt her fingernails gouge into his cheek. Grappling with her for a few moments, he was finally able to grasp her wrists and spin her around. He held her tightly to his chest and kept her arms pinned to the front of her torso. Kate screamed and swung her head back to knock him painfully in the jaw. 

"KATE! FUCK, STOP IT!" he shouted as he pushed her away and wiped the blood from his mouth. What the fucking hell was going on? Kate rushed at him again and pounded on his chest as she screamed and cursed at him. 

"What the fuck did your fucking family do? You fucking assholes! MY GRANDFATHER'S IN PRISON BECAUSE OF YOU! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU, YOU FUCKING BASTARDS, WHAT DID YOU DO?" 

Derek watched in horror as Kate sobbed and screamed and railed at him. Who the hell was this woman, he wondered; the Kate he knew was nothing like the pathetic, sobbing mess in front of him. Gently stilling her flailing fists, he held her against his chest tightly and let her curse and scream and spit at him, until her body sagged against him in defeat. The front of his shirt was soaked with her tears, and he tightened his hold on her as she cried pitifully into his chest. Kate's breathing deepened and he frowned as he felt the full weight of her body collapse against him. 

He shook her gently and called her name, but the alpha remained unconscious. Bending his knees, he lifted her into his arms, walked into the lounge and deposited her unconscious form onto the couch. Placing a cushion below her head, he pulled his phone from his pocket and called Doctor McCall. Melissa told him she'd be over as soon as possible but advised him to keep an eye on Kate. Derek thanked her and ended the call, before sitting down on the coffee table and scrubbing a hand across his face. What a god awful day, he thought, as he watched Kate's pale face and waited for Melissa to arrive. 

 

TBC.........


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Melissa arrives at the Hale estate and Gérard receives a visitor....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, new day, new chapter - enjoy! Thank you as always for your kudos and kind comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Victoria slammed the phone down, and smashed it onto the desk top over and over again before throwing it against the wall in a rage. Her secretary rushed in and stared at her wide eyed. 

"Senator, is everyth -"

"GET OUT!" she screamed at the beta, who flinched and scurried out of the room with a terrified look on her face. 

Victoria slumped down in her office chair and swivelled around to stare out of the window as her mood darkened with thoughts of her defeat. Her contact at the White House had just informed her that the President intended to veto the bill, claiming that the international and domestic backlash if he were to sign the bill into law, would destroy any chances of victory in 2013. She curled her lip in disgust at the political machinations of a weak President who was more concerned with reelection than fulfilling the desires of those he governed.

As the sky turned a pale pink and the sun slowly set over the peaks and valleys of Beacon Hills, the alpha pushed off her chair and walked across the room to the wall safe behind the photograph of Beacon Hills circa 1910. She opened the safe door and reached inside for the VHS tape at the back. Closing and locking the safe, she perched on the arm of the sofa and stared at the tape in her hands. It had been over 20 years since she'd viewed the tape, but the image of her husband holding a trembling Peter tightly against his naked chest had been seared into her mind. The devastation she'd felt 20 years ago had long since faded, but the anger...the anger had always simmered gently beneath the surface. 

She'd never intended to allow the tape to see the light of day, but Gérard had insisted that it's release was the only way to discredit Chris's statement. Touching her lightly bruised throat, she vividly recalled Chris's whispered threats and grimaced. If she leaked the tape then she had no doubt that her husband would utilise every weapon in his arsenal and destroy her. If she didn't leak the tape, then her father in law, the man who held the purse strings and whose ambition to see her in power surpassed even her own, would most likely spend a few years behind bars. Conflicted, she lay down on the sofa and closed her eyes. What the hell was she going to do?

 

*************************

 

Gérard stared at the gaurd's blank face and sat back in the rickety chair. Ten minutes ago, the guards had removed him from his cell and frog marched him to the sound proofed visitors room with nary an explanation, and despite his repeated enquiries about what the hell was going on, both gaurds had remained tight lipped. He crossed his arms and waited silently to see who wanted to see him so badly. 

Fifteen minutes later, the metal door to the room swung open with a screech, and a familiar face stepped into the room. His face flushed and he ground his teeth as the sandy haired man thanked the guards and instructed them to wait outside. Feigning nonchalance, he adopted an amused expression as the man dusted off the metal seat bolted to the floor, and sat down across from him. Gérard studied the angular face, and watched as the man's thin lips lifted in a smile. 

"How is prison treating you, Gérard?" asked the handsome alpha, sitting back and crossing his long legs. 

Gérard shrugged and yawned at the inane question. "I can't complain. How's business over in Europe?" he asked mockingly, knowing full well how much damage he'd wrought on the man's 'business'. 

The man lowered his head and laughed as though conceding defeat. "Always straight to the heart of the matter, Gérard; I always liked that about you. It will be a shame to see that ruthless business acumen go to waste. But I confess, I'm looking forward to seeing how you fare inside a locked cement box." 

The smug smile slipped off his face as he deconstructed and decoded the words of the smiling man in front of him. "What the hell do you want, Deucalion?" 

Deucalion's eyes turned hard and the amiable man of a few moments ago disappeared. "What I want is irrelevant, Gérard; I'm here to tell you what is going to happen next. You are going to admit your role in the crimes you have been accused of, and you are going to plead guilty. Then, you are going to humbly accept the 5-6 years of jail time you will receive as punishment, and quietly disappear." 

He couldn't help but laugh at the man as he listened to the ridiculous demands. Wiping the tears of laughter from his eyes, he cleared his throat and patted his chest. "I think your crystal ball is faulty Deucalion, but thank you for that; I needed some amusement after the last few days". He rapped his knuckles on the table and chuckled, before standing up and banging on the metal door to signal for the gaurd. 

"I know about Margaret." 

He froze, certain that he must have misheard the alpha. "What?" he whispered, slowly turning back to the seated man. Deucalion pulled out his phone and gestured for him to sit down. Stumbling back to the rickety metal chair, he sat down and waited for Deucalion to speak. 

"I know what you did to your wife and her friend 40 years ago, Gérard. If you do as I say, I will happily conceal the evidence of your crime, and you can consider the next 6 years an extended vacation. If not..." Deucalion shrugged "...well, I will hand over the evidence I have to the authorities and the only way you will leave this place..." he gestured to the barred windows "...will be in a wooden box, before they bury you in an unmarked grave." 

Each word was like a blow to the gut, knocking the air from his lungs over and over again until he could barely breathe. Memories of that night so many years ago flashed before his eyes and he crumpled over the table in defeated heap. Short of murder, offences against an omega carried minimal sentencing thanks to his lobbying over the past 20 years, but murdering an alpha? Good god...they'd kill him. Imagining year after year spent in the confines of a tiny cage, only to be strapped to a bed and injected with a lethal mix of chemicals, made him shudder and break out in a cold sweat. He licked his lips and tried to focus on Deucalion, find some way out of this mess. 

"I don't believe you...you can't have -"

Deucalion slid his phone across the table and he blanched when he saw the image on the screen. The brownstone looked unchanged from 40 years ago, he thought absently, as Deucalion swiped to the next image. He saw the interior of a familiar basement, and stared in horror at the group of workmen stood in hard hats and orange vests, drilling into the ground. 

"I acquired the property last year; I knew you were hiding something, but I must say, even I was surprised by the treasure I uncovered. You should thank me, Gérard..." he looked up at Deucalion in incredulity "...I'm being merciful; 6 years is nothing in the grande scheme of things. Especially if death is the alternative. Well, it is time for me to leave..." said Deucalion, picking up his phone and standing up "...I suggest you contact your attorney; you have a tough few days ahead of you." 

He watched the alpha bang on the door and wait patiently for the gaurd to return. A thought occurred to him and he almost laughed at his stupidity. 

"It was you, wasn't it?"

Deucalion turned back to him with an arched brow, curious and arrogant. 

"The shooting? That was you, right?"

The door to the visitors room swung open, and a guard stepped in ready to escort him back to his cell. Deucalion fixed cold, hard eyes on him and stepped forward. 

"You fuck with my business and I fuck with yours. Enjoy prison, old man." 

With that, Deucalion turned around and walked out of the room. Gérard told the guard he needed to speak to his attorney, and followed him to the secure telephone line before reluctantly making the call. 

"Jerry? Get to the prison now, we need to talk...."

 

**************************

 

"Derek, is she taking anything?" 

The alpha frowned, confused by Melissa's question and her worried face. He glanced at Kate's face and shrugged. 

"What, like medication? No, not that I know of, but we broke up a couple of weeks ago and I haven't seen much of her since then, so..." he trailed off as Melissa shook her head, and pulled out her phone. 

"No, Derek, not medication. Do you know if she's been taking drugs? Ecstasy? Cocaine? I found track marks on - Hello? Yes, this is Doctor Melissa McCall, I need an ambulance at 1360 Riverbank..." 

He tuned her out as he stepped around the coffee table and crouched beside Kate's unconscious body in shock. He smoothed a hand across her messy hair and cupped her pale cheek. What the hell had happened to her? How long had she been like this? Why hadn't she come to him earlier? His mind swirled with questions as Melissa finished the call and checked Kate's pulse again. He glanced up, saw Melissa frown, and grasped Kate's cold hand. 

"Melissa?" 

Melissa patted his shoulder and told him that everything was going to be fine. He saw the worry clouding her brown eyes and turned back to Kate, praying for the ambulance to hurry. 

 

**************************

 

Stiles jumped as the door to the library was thrown open. Joe, one of the senior nurse's at the Centre, rushed in and breathlessly asked him if he'd seen Melissa. 

"She had to leave, there was an emergency at the Hale estate. I think she's - Joe? Hey, Joe? What's wrong?" he asked as he saw the usually collected nurse, pale and run a shaky hand through his close cropped hair. 

Joe had just opened his mouth to respond when his pager buzzed loudly on his hip. Joe glanced down at the pager and Stiles saw his eyes widen, before he ran from the room like a madman. He pushed off his seat, abandoned the thick medical text he'd been reading, and ran after Joe. Thank fuck for Peter and his crazy workout sessions, he thought, as he turned a corner and caught up to Joe barely out of breath. He skidded to a halt when he saw Joe, a few other nurses, and Doctor Khan standing before 2 uniformed police officers and a short, petite, older woman wearing an expensive looking pant suit. He discreetly moved behind Doctor Khan and heard him trying to reason with the woman. 

"Mrs. Burke, please, you have to understand that to remove your daughter from this facility, from the people she knows and trusts, will cause her irreparable harm. I urge you to reconsider -" 

The woman sighed and rolled her eyes, before throwing a look of utter contempt at Doctor Khan. Stiles frowned and tried to place the woman. She looked familiar but he just couldn't....wait, Burke? As in Burke, like Diana Burke? He glanced at the two police officers and saw one of them holding what appeared to be some sort of legal notice. He quickly realised what was happening, and finally understood why Joe had looked so worried. The older woman; Diana's mother, snatched the papers from the officer's hand and handed them to Doctor Khan with a 'shut the fuck up' smile. 

"Doctor Khan, is it? As you can see, my mother passed away last week and I have been awarded Diana's power of attorney. While I am...grateful" she said, with a fake smile and cold eyes "...for the care your little clinic has provided her with over the years, I feel her needs would be better met elsewhere. With real doctors. I'm sure you understand." 

Stiles fisted his hands as Doctor Khan flushed and looked down at the papers in his hand. Nasim Khan was a damn good doctor and he treated his patients with care and respect, so the insinuation that he was somehow not a 'real' doctor simply because he was an omega made him fucking angry. He saw Joe scowl and Sarah, one of the other nurse's present, glare at the woman. Doctor Khan flipped through the legal papers and sighed. 

"Mrs. Burke, I really think you -"

"I don't particularly care what you think, Doctor..." she spat, making the title sound like an expletive "...my daughter will be leaving with me. I have a medical team on their way, so please, get her file ready and do as your told." 

What. A. Fucking. Bitch.

As Doctor Khan clenched his jaw and nodded, he remembered reading something in Peter's library and slipped away quietly. Running down the hall to Diana's room, he gently pushed open the door and stepped into the room. He paused when he caught sight of a dark haired boy, around his age, sitting by Diana's bedside reading aloud. He must have made a sound because the boy stopped and turned to look at him with raised eyebrows. 

"Uh, hey, did you need something?" the dark haired boy asked. He took in the crooked jaw, brown eyes and uncertain smile, and frowned. 

"Who the hell are you?" he asked, none too kindly. 

Now it was the boy's turn to frown, as he closed the book he'd been reading, and walked over to him with an unimpressed look on his face. 

"I'm Scott McCall, Doctor McCall's my mom. And I'm guessing you're the 'sweet, kind, quiet' Stiles my mom has been talking about for weeks..." the boy looked him up and down, and smiled as he rolled his eyes, before extending his hand in greeting "...you're a lot snappier than I'd thought you'd be."

Stiles looked down at the extended hand in confusion and gave the bo-Scott, a look. Why was he smiling so widely, he wondered, as he reluctantly shook Scott's hand. The sound of Joe's voice in the hallway made hin remember why he'd come to Diana's room, and he quickly let go of Scott's hand and rushed to Diana's bedside. 

"What are you doing?" he heard Scott ask, as he took a deep breath and reached for the doll. Scott appeared by his side and grabbed his wrist. 

"Hey! Stop that! Do you have any idea how crazy Dee gets when people touch the doll?" asked Scott, pulling his arm away. 

Stiles yanked his arm out of Scott's hold and reached for the doll once again. He heard Doctor Khan's voice join Joe's outside, and prayed to whatever deity was watching, that this worked. 

"Hey! What-"

Stiles pushed Scott away and hissed "I know, ok Scott, I know! But if I don't take this doll, then a couple of asshole cops and Diana's bitch of a mother are gonna take her away. Is that what you want?"

Scott stared at him wide eyed and shook his head. He nodded grimly and wrenched the doll out of Diana's tight hold. As soon as the doll was in his hands, he saw the omega's eyes snap open and her mouth open in a scream. 

 

TBC.........


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles tries to stop Mrs. Burke and Victoria is summoned by Gérard...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, apologies for the late update - RL - enough said. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and thank you for your kudos and comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"ADAM?! MY BABY, GIVE ME BACK MY BABY! HE'S MINE. HE'S MINE. HE'S MINE. GIVE HIM BACK!" 

Diana's screams bounced off the walls and filled the room until all Stiles could hear were her desperate, broken cries. He watched the omega rip the sheets from her bed and desperately search for the doll. Realising the doll was not on the bed, Diana scrambled to the floor and searched undeneath the bed, around the nightstand, and even behind the curtains. When she collapsed against a wall and screamed and cried for her baby as she clutched at her belly, he felt tears wet his cheeks. He heard the concerned voices of Doctor Khan and Joe outside, before the door was flung open and both men rushed inside. Hiding Diana's precious doll behind the open door, he discreetly stepped around Doctor Khan and prayed that the broken omega would forgive him for causing her such pain.

"ADAAAM?! GIVE HIM BACK! HE'S MINE. HE'S MINE. HE'S MINE! YOU CAN'T HAVE HIM!" the omega screamed over and over again as Joe tried to calm her down. 

Stiles leaned heavily against the wall by Diana's door and tried to block the sound of her wails as his body trembled. God...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry. He felt a hand touch his shoulder and opened his eyes to see Scott's tear stained face staring back at him. 

"AAADAAAAAMMMM!!" The anguish and torment in the omega's scream made his breath catch in his throat, and he almost...almost walked back into the room and returned the doll. What stopped him was the sight of Diana's mother striding towards the room with an annoyed expression on her immaculately made up face. With the back of his sleeve, he roughly wiped the tears from his eyes and shrugged off Scott's comforting touch; now wasn't the time for grief, now was the time to act as the protectors for an omega unable to protect herself. 

Diana's mother paused at the room's threshold and peered into the dimly lit room in distaste. 

"Doctor Khan?" she yelled into the room "what on earth is going on? For god's sake, give her a tranquiliser so we can leave, my team doesn't have all day!" 

He curled his lip in disgust and straightened to his full height. Wiping his face clean again with the back of his sleeve, he stepped in front of the coiffed and heavily perfumed alpha, and crossed his arms. Mrs. Burke looked at him as one would look at dog shit on the bottom of their shoe; both disgusting and inconvenient. He swallowed the pure fury that pounded away inside his head, and looked the alpha straight in the eye. He could hear Doctor Khan and Joe trying desperately to locate Diana's 'baby' behind him, and prayed that they didn't find the doll before he could tell this bitch to get the hell out. 

"And who might you be?" asked the alpha in a patronising tone.

Stiles steeled himself and said "you can't take her, sorry." 

Mrs. Burke scoffed and made to push past him. In his peripheral vision, he could see Scott watching the scene nervously, and moved his slightly bulkier body (thank fuck for Peter, seriously) to block the woman's path. The alpha frowned and glared at him as two unfamiliar nurses, and the two police officers from earlier, appeared at the end of the hallway 

"Get out of my way, boy. How dare you try to stop -"

He shrugged and feigned indifference as he said "sorry, lady, but she..." he pointed his thumb over his shoulder in the direction of the screaming omega "...ain't going anywhere." 

"Why you filthy little -"

"Ma'am? Please move aside, we'll deal with this." The older of the two police officers nodded at the alpha, before turning to him with a stern expression. "Now, son, I don't want to have to cuff you. Move aside and let us do our job." 

Stiles gave the officer a thin lipped smile and shook his head. "Sorry, officer, but under state and federal law you can't remove Diana from these premises if she is seriously unwell and a poses a potential danger to herself or others." As if on cue, another tormented scream punctuated the air. 

The officer glanced beyond him into the room and seemed to consider his words, which was...fucking weird. By now, he'd expected to be face down on the floor being handcuffed for being a smartass; right or wrong, alphas and betas rarely responded well to mouthy omegas. Mrs. Burke appeared to take offence at the officer's pause, and pushed past both him and the officer into Diana's room. Stiles looked back and closed his eyes momentarily as he saw the omega clawing at her own chest and sobbing as she called for her baby. 

"Federally it's the Omega's Health Care Act 1989, State wise it's the OMCD Act 1999. You can't take her anywhere without the written authorisation of her attending doctor..." he said, turning away from the heart breaking scene in the room behind him. The officer's eyes softened as yet another wail pierced the air, and Stiles glanced at the 'medical team' behind the officer and said "ask them. If you can't be bothered to check the legislation, ask them. They should be aware of the laws governing these types of circumstances." 

The officer sighed and asked the nurses behind him if what he was saying was true. Both women glanced at him and nodded reluctantly. A high pitched unfamiliar scream was heard from inside the room, and both he and the officer turned to see Mrs. Burke clutching her bloody hand, looking shocked. 

"She bit me...my god...she bit me" she muttered as she stumbled out of the room. The younger police officer, who had yet to speak, led the woman to a seat and examined her hand bloody hand. 

"Ok, so, where's the attending doctor, kid?" asked the older officer, looking back at his colleague and Mrs. Burke. Stiles smiled as Doctor Khan stepped up beside him and clapped him on the shoulder. 

"I am. And Diana's not going anywhere." 

 

***************************

 

Derek brushed a lock of hair out of Kate's face and tucked it behind her ear. The alpha looked pale and frail tucked beneath the white hospital sheet, and for the nth time today he stared in shock at the small puncture marks littering the inside of her arms. How could this have possibly happened? The last time he saw her...the last time they'd been intimate, her skin had been smooth and whole, so what the hell could have happened in the last few weeks that would lead a woman as strong as Kate, down such a destructive path? An image of Kate dressed like a school girl, staring at him with troubled eyes flashed before him, and he berated himself for not staying that day, for not insisting that she tell him what was wrong. 

"Derek?" 

He looked up to see Chris being wheeled into the room by a nurse, looking exhausted. The man looked as though he'd aged ten years in the last week and despite the stoic expression on his face, Derek could tell from his trembling hands that the man was in severe pain. The nurse parked the wheelchair across from him and quietly left the room. He watched Chris wheel himself as close as possible to Kate's bedside, before grasping her hand and looking up at him. 

"I was just notified. What are the doctors saying?" asked Chris, as he held Kate's hand against his cheek. 

Derek pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes, before answering. "I should call the doctor, she can -" 

"Dammit Derek! Just tell me what the hell is wrong!" 

The nurse's outside stopped talking and glanced through the open doorway in concern. Chris closed his eyes and hung his head, before pleading with him; "Derek, just - please..." 

"She overdosed...on heroine. The doctors said that her kidney has shut down and that she was having problems breathing...they stabilised her breathing, but...Chris....the kidney..." he watched the man across from him slump down in his wheelchair as understanding dawned.  
"Do you mind if I have some time alone with my daughter?" 

Derek silently left the room and closed the door behind him, before collapsing in a hard plastic chair in the waiting room across the hall. He looked around at the stark white walls and the two year old magazines spread across the scuffed coffee table, and sighed as exhaustion hit every bone in his body. Tuning out the low hum of the hospital around him, he dropped his head back and closed his eyes. He'd take a minute to breathe, then he'd check on Peter and Kate again...he just needed a couple of minutes. 

 

**************************

 

Victoria checked her watch impatiently and glanced back at the locked metal door. Gérard had summoned her to the jail for an 'urgent meeting' but she'd been waiting for the man over half an hour, and her patience was wearing very thin. It didn't help that the guards had insisted that she leave her phone and the rest of her belongings at the front desk as a 'security measure'; she wasn't just anybody for god's sake, who knew how many important calls or emails she'd missed in the time she'd been waiting in this stupid little room. Frustrated, she moved towards the metal door, fully intending to tell the gaurd to escort her out of the prison. As soon as she stepped around the table, the door swung open and Gérard walked in with a grim expression on his face. 

The furrowed brow, downturned mouth, and dark eyes told her all she needed to know about the direction this meeting would take. She made sure to keep her face blank as she sat down across from her father in law; it was always best to let him set the tone. 

"I'm pleading guilty." 

Her mouth dropped open in shock and she stared at him in complete confusion. 

"What?!"

"My attorney tells me that sentencing will be negotiated via the Attorney General's office, though I don't expect much more than 4 years. I need you to meet with the company lawyers and prepare a press release -"

"Gérard"

"The share holders won't be happy and I suspect we'll take a hit, but that should stabilise once we work on the press after sentencing. Also -"

"GÉRARD! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON?!"

She watched Gérard's eyes narrow dangerously, and clamped her mouth shut before taking a deep, calming breath. She cleared her throat and smoothed a strand of hair away from her face as she tried to ignore Gérard's piercing gaze. 

"Come here" he commanded in a low voice. 

She glanced at him, and seeing the stubborn set of his jaw, slowly stood up and rounded the table warily. Ensuring that there remained atleast half a foot of distance between them, she stopped and waited for him to speak. Gérard turned his body to face her and beckoned her closer with a finger. Gritting her teeth, she stepped into his space and froze when she felt his calloused hand caress her forearm. 

"That fire...I always admired that in you. I thought years spent mated to my son had dampened it...I'm glad to see that's not the case." He stood up and positioned his body close to her. Victoria watched him cautiously as memories from a dark night decades past flooded her mind. 

"I'm leaving the company in your capable hands, Victoria..." she angled her face away as he stepped closer and she felt his hot breath on her cheek "...take care of it for me. As for my son..." he leaned impossibly closer and whispered in her ear "...tell him he can go to hell, and that I hope that piece of ass was worth it."  
She shivered at the hatred in his voice and took a small step back, careful not to reveal her revulsion at his proximity. "Why...after everything, why?" 

He swept his gaze across her face and shrugged . "My attorney suggested I change my plea. With the trou's and those damned human rights groups kicking up a fuss both domestically and internationally, he thought it might be prudent to avoid the risk of a trial in the current climate. This way, we negotiate time frames and locations; a few years in a low security prison won't kill me. "

"And the tape?"

Gérard laughed and sat back down. "Do with that what you will; it's of no use to me now."

She watched the man she'd known for almost her entire adult life, the man who in her mind, had always embodied power and the absolute dominance of an alpha, sitting on a small metal chair in an orange jumpsuit, inside of a locked room with the indentations of handcuffs still circling his wrists, and felt a shift in her reality. 

"Are you certain this is what you want to do?" she asked, still unsure as to what had caused him to change his mind so radically in such a short space of time 

Gérard turned his head to stare out of the barred window and nodded. "I'm sure, Victoria. I still have friends at the AG's office, I'll be fine. Just take care of the company."

She jumped when the door behind her opened and a guard stepped in. 

"Time's up, Argent." 

Gérard stood up, and before she could stop him, walked over to her, cupped her face and kissed her. She moved her hands to his shoulders and pushed him back as she heard the guard behind her laugh. 

"I'm trusting you, Victoria, don't let me down" he whispered menacingly against her lips, before walking out of the room. She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and swallowed the bile that hit the back of her throat, before silently following the guard through the maze of corridors. 

As soon as her phone was returned to her at the front desk, she switched it on and frowned when she saw dozens of missed calls from the hospital, and a message from Chris. Her eyes widened in shock as she read her husband's message, and she grabbed her keys and rushed out of the building. 

 

*************************

"Excuse me?" 

The gray haired nurse looked up at him with a fed up expression, and Stiles plastered a charming smile on his face. 

"Yes?" 

"I'm really sorry to bother you ma'am, but I was told Doctor McCall was working on this floor. Would you mind paging her? It's an emergency...please?"

The nurse sighed and reached for her pager. "You can wait in the waiting room. I'll point her in that direction when she turns up."

Stiles thanked the exhausted nurse profusely and walked to the waiting room at the end of the hall. Someone had switched off the lights and the only thing he could make out was the vending machine in the far corner of the room. He flicked on the lights and froze when he saw Derek sleeping in an uncomfortable position on one of the plastic chairs. Oh, fuck! Why? Why did this kind of random crap always happen to him?! 

Fuck it, he thought, Melissa would probably only be a few minutes, and in any case the alpha was asleep, what harm could it do to wait here? He took a seat as far from the alpha as possible, and pulled out his phone. After twenty five minutes of playing game after game of fruit ninja, he glanced up at the empty doorway and sighed. Perhaps he should just go back to the Centre and leave Melissa a message? Deciding to do just that, he stood up and was walking toward the door when he caught sight of Derek shivering in his sleep. 

Nope, nope, hell no! Not his problem. He switched off the lights, walked out of the room, across to the elevators, and waited for the elevator car to reach his floor. Tapping his foot impatiently on the tiled floor, he zipped up his jacket over his hoodie, and shoved his cold hands into his pockets. The numbers atop the elevator doors rolled over slowly; 9...10...11...12...13...14...15.

"Aaargh! FUCK ME!" he yelled as he turned around and strode back to the waiting room. He didn't bother turning on the lights this time, just unzipped his jacket and draped it over the shivering alpha's chest. As he turned to walk away, a loud bang sounded in the hallway, and he felt a strong hand grasp his wrist and pull him against a familiar broad chest. Before he could protest, thick white plumes of smoke began to filter into the room, and Derek pulled him to the ground and covered his body with his own. 

 

TBC......


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> David talks to a friend, and Derek and Stiles deal with happenings at the hospital....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, apologies for the late update - busy week! Anyway, please enjoy the chapter, and thank you for the kudos and comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)
> 
> P.S Some croation is spoken by a character in this chapter - I do not speak croation, I simply used good old Google translate, so apologies for any errors. Basically, the character is just telling someone that he'll see them next month. If you happen to speak the lingo, and this is incorrect, let me know :-)

Vanessa Washington, or Van to her friends, smoothed a damp cloth across the boy's sweat slicked forehead and cupped his cheek gently. The boy's body ceased it's trembling at her touch and she watched in relief as the boy drifted off into a fitful sleep. The first heats were always the hardest; your body turning on you and craving, demanding, begging to be filled in ways you didn't understand. She remembered her first heat at the tender age of ten, and to this day shuddered at the memory of powerlessness and vulnerability. Wiping her hands on a towel, she exited the bedroom and made her way to the study downstairs. 

Van paused at the mirror at the top of the staircase and sighed at the sight of the black bags beneath her hazel eyes. The rest of her didn't look much better; her dark brown skin looked tired and grey, the hair pulled back loosely at the nape of her neck looked messy, and the scrubs she wore were 48 hours old and still smelled of the hospital. The glamorous life of a doctor, she thought to herself, as she fixed her hair and jogged down the stairs. She opened the door to the study without knocking, and found David slumped in the chair behind his desk, asleep. Van poured herself a drink and sat down across from her old friend who'd called her in a panic a few hours ago. 

Six hours ago to be precise. Six hours ago, when she'd been on her way out of the hospital after a particularly long, gruelling shift, David had called and told her that his son was going through his first heat. He hadn't asked her to come, but she'd heard the plea in his voice, and so here she was; 48 hours with no sleep and looking after the 11 year old omega son of a man she once thought she'd loved. She pulled off her glasses and pinched the bridge of her nose, ignoring her brain's pleas for sleep. 

"David?" 

The man's eyes snapped open and he jumped up off his chair in a panic. "Oh shit! Is it Cam? Is he ok? I'm so sorry Van, I don't even know when I - shit! Where is he? Did something happen? Is everything ok?!" he rambled, rushing to the study door and peering up the staircase. 

Van waited for the panic to subside and calmly sipped her drink. A moment later, she heard his footsteps behind her and asked "you done?" 

The alpha laughed, sounding almost hysterical, and perched on the desk in front of her. 

"I'm done. I'm done. Is Cam ok?"

She grimaced as she tossed back the last of the liquor, and nodded.

"Smooth" she said before setting the tumbler atop the desk. Glancing up at him, she noted the deeply etched lines of his face and the worry in his eyes, and said "he's fine, David. I've checked him over and everything seems normal; his body temperature, heart rate, everything, is within the normal ranges for a first heat. I'd say he's going to hit his peak tomorrow, but it shouldn't be more than a day or two after that, that his heat ends; first heats may be a pain in the ass...no pun intended.." she smiled up at him and held his hand "...but atleast they're brief. He'll be back to his old self soon enough." 

David squeezed her hand and nodded as he blew out a breath. 

"Van...I know you didn't have to come, but I'm so fucking glad you did. I don't even - thank you." 

She frowned at the almost desperate look on his face and leaned forward. "David? Is something else going on? You look...I don't know, you seem far more shaken up than you should be by your son's heat. Talk to me, what's going on?" 

David pushed off the desk and she saw tears dampen his eyes before he roughly wiped them away. Concerned at his unusual behaviour, she walked up behind him and laid a hand on his shoulder. "David?.."

Much to her shock, the alpha turned around and embraced her tightly without saying a word. Uncertain how to respond, she embraced him lightly and asked him what the hell was wrong. The David she knew wasn't emotionless per say, but he damn well kept his cards close to his chest. So this strange behaviour was unchartered territory, and she was hopelessly lost. This was why they never would have worked out; he was a reserved, deeply private alpha, who concealed a sensitive, emotional core, and she was a detached introvert who was clumsy with emotion and judgemental of sentimentality. Go figure. The sex though? That had been pretty great as she recalled. 

A fact she was reminded of when she felt David's hands caressing her back and his lips kissing her neck. Van pursed her lips to stifle a moan when he bit down gently on her neck and soothed the sting with his tongue. She pulled his face away from her neck and rested her head against his, ignoring his hands slipping undeneath her scrubs. 

As he leaned in to kiss her, she whispered "tell me you don't love your wife and I'll happily fuck you right now." 

David's moist breath blew across her lips and she watched him freeze at her words. " Sex always meant something to you, beyond the physical release, right? So tell me, tell me you don't love Talia and I'll let you have me." 

He flinched when she said his wife's name and pulled away. Van walked across the study, poured out two generous servings of liquor, and handed her quiet friend a glass. 

"So...you want to tell me what that was about?" she asked, sitting back down. David tossed back the entire glass of liquor and wiped his mouth before crumpling onto the seat beside her. He scrubbed a hand through his thick, dark hair, dropped his head back to stare at the ceiling, and laughed bitterly. 

"What was that about? Who the fuck knows Van? Maybe I'm losing my god damned mind."

She glanced at her watch and frowned. "Ok, I'm calling bullshit David Jacob Hunter. You were seconds away from cheating on the woman you loved so much you took her last name! I mean, hell...you're only the third alpha in over 20 years I've known to do that. So, I have another ten minutes before I have to go check on Cam again, you want to tell me what's actually going on? Or should I just be on high alert for wandering hands over the next couple of days?"

David looked at her and laughed unconvincingly. "I don't know what the fuck is happening in my life, Van, I really don't. I...we've been having problems...I just- I barely recognise her anymore" he said, shaking his head and staring off into space. "I know the woman I love, the amazing woman I married is in there somewhere....I'm just - I'm scared I won't ever be able to find my way back to her." 

Van sat quietly beside her friend and listened as he vented his pain and frustration. Christ, she thought as he recounted the events of the past few months, what a mess. 

 

**************************

 

Deucalion Karas held up a finger at the tall, well built, well dressed man in front of him and finished his phone call. 

"Izvrsno! Mi ćemo zadovoljiti sljedeći mjesec, Roko . Da, da. Doviđenja."

Terminating the call, he set the phone on the desk and turned to the waiting man, with an expectant look. Ennis Flint stepped forward and placed a file on the desk in front of him. At 6 ft 6 and weighing in at over 200 lbs, Ennis was not a man to be trifled with; a lesson many of his enemies had learned far too late. Deucalion read through the report, and returning his gaze to Ennis, asked, "he's been arrested?"

"Yes, sir; he was apprehended 5 mintues ago. Our contact at the station will keep an eye on him during the interview, but I don't expect any problems" Ennis answered. 

He nodded and sat back in his chair. "How is the market looking?" 

"Right now the shares are holding at $1,350. 45, but after his announcement, we expect that to plummet fairly quickly." 

"Fine. Let me know how our boy does at the station. Notify me immediately if there are any problems. Understood?" 

Ennis nodded and walked out of his office, quietly closing the door behind him. Deucalion walked to the floor to ceiling windows and stared out at the night sky with a deep sense of anticipation; tomorrow would bring to fruition months of planning, and he could hardly wait. 

 

**************************

 

The loud ringing of the fire alarm sounded in the hallway as the thick white smoke quickly filled the small room. Derek coughed and tucked his body tightly against the coughing omega beneath him. Reaching for the jacket that had fallen from his chest when he'd dropped to the floor, he rolled off of Stiles and folded it in half, before shoving it at the omega and motioning for him to press it to his mouth. Even through the thick cloud of smoke, he could see Stiles roll his eyes before he grabbed the jacket, pushed off the ground and rushed towards the door. Derek heard the door slam shut and closed his eyes in resignation; the abandonment was no less than he deserved after the way he'd treated the omega, but...fuck if it didn't still sting. He lay belly down on the floor by the row of plastic chairs, contemplating his next move, but froze in sheer disbelief a moment later when he felt the first cool drops of water hit the back of his hand. Somebody had activated the sprinkler system.

Once the smoke had dissipated a little and he'd stopped coughing, he opened his eyes to see...Stiles slumped on the ground against the closed door, with the jacket stuffed against the bottom of the door. Derek stared at the omega in shock; he'd been so sure that Stiles had left, that the sight of the soaking wet omega short circuited his brain for a minute. 

"Wh-what?" Stiles choked out as the omega spotted him staring. 

Derek watched the omega catch his breath, and slowly get to his feet on shaky legs before answering. "I thought you left." 

Stiles stumbled his way over to a plastic chair and laughed mockingly as he sat down. "Of course you did, because what else would I do, right? I'm that huge of an asshole." 

Deciding to just shut his mouth and not piss off the omega further, he heaved himself off the floor and walked to the closed door. He placed a hand on the door and sighed in relief when he felt no heat. No heat meant no fire, and no fire meant it was time to get the hell out of this room. Derek turned to tell Stiles that it was safe for them to leave, when he felt his heart begin to race and his body begin to heat. A twisting pain stabbed at him deep in the belly and he fell to his knees as a burning heat spread through his body. Stiles' sugary sweet scent assaulted him from every angle and he cried out as he felt the burning heat reach his groin. As he felt heat pool in his lower belly and his dick begin to stiffen, he looked up at the omega with desperate eyes and yelled "RUN!"

 

****************************

 

The alpha's voice was filled with authority and the sound of his command rang in Stiles' ears. His eyes widened as he saw the alpha hunch over and writhe in pain before fixing on him with a terrifying determination. Derek pounded his fist angrily against the tiled floor and roared "RUN!" before flinging himself to the back of the room. Stiles watched the alpha hug the back wall and shudder, before screaming in pain. 

"STILES! GO!"

He flinched at the fear and desperation in Derek's voice and watched the alpha claw at the wall as his breathing became increasingly laboured, before scrambling off of the plastic chair, wrenching open the door and running out of the room. As he glanced back, he saw Derek fall to the floor and curl into a ball on the wet floor. What the fuck was happening?!? He'd never seen an alpha or beta behave that way...in fact, if anything, Derek's behaviour reminded him of...ooohhh shit! 

He skidded to a halt by the deserted nurse's station and looked back at the visitors room. No. No. Stop fucking thinking asshole and RUN!! his brain begged and pleaded with him. He glanced between the visitors room and the fire exit, once, twice, three times, before cursing and banging open the door to the first room on his left. If Derek was going through what he thought he was going through, then God help the poor bastard, he was going to need help...serious help. 

 

**************************

 

"What the hell is going on?" 

William watched a group of firemen frown as he interrupted their conversation. A blonde man of average height and build, broke away from the group and stepped towards him. 

"Excuse me, Sir, I'm gonna need you to remain behind that ba-" 

William narrowed his eyes and walked up to the man until only a few inches remained between them. He peered down at the man in his big, bulky fireman's uniform and hissed "what the hell do you people think you're doing standing around? There are people on that floor that need help. Get inside. And do your job." 

The fair haired man removed his helmet and ruffled his sweaty hair, before meeting his stern gaze. 

"Sir, with all due respect, you need yo calm down and let -" 

William grabbed the man's collar and yanked him close. "My name is William Hale, and my grandson, whom I love very much, is trapped on that floor. If you don't provide me with a satisfactory explanation as to why you and your team aren't rushing into that building right now, I will be very, very, very unhappy...." he tightened his hold on the smaller man "...do you understand?" The man paled and nodded, and he released him and waited for an explanation. Before the man could offer any explanation, however, he heard someone call his name. 

"William?" 

He turned to see Melissa striding towards him with tears streaming down her face and worry darkening her eyes. Fear, true fear infected every muscle in his body and he froze as she neared him and touched his arm. 

"What is it?" 

"William, I just spoke to the police. They say they have a man in custody who claims to have set off a smoke bomb...William...he said - he said the bomb was filled with a concentrated solution of Libidaugon 145...William...Stiles is up there...." 

He struggled not to imagine what could happen to the poor boy, if...if...

"Melissa, how many patients does the hospital have in that area right now?" 

"Five"

"How many are...able...enough to be affected by the solution?"

His spirits sank as he saw fresh tears roll down her cheeks. "Oh my god, William....three....there's three of them...."

 

TBC......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My god...this is turning into a saga... :O


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Derek try to survive the bomb...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, apologies for the late update. Please enjoy the chapter and thank you so much, seriously, so much for your kudos and comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Stiles wiped the tears blurring his vision and covered his mouth with his arm, as his eyes darted around the cabinet lined room. Despite the sprinklers, smoke still hung thick in the air, and he moved quickly around the room squinting to read the signs on the front of each cabinet. Running his fingers along the glass fronted cabinets, he searched desperately for something that would help Derek, and paused when he read 'non-opioid anesthetics'. Anesthetics? Stiles stared at the various bottles lined up inside the cabinet and considered his options. An anesthetic would knock Derek out, and theoretically, stop the increasing effect of whatever drugs the bomb had contained. But the operative word was 'theoretically'; he really had no idea if it would work. 

Stiles coughed as the smoke filling his lungs choked him, and quickly came to a decision. He had no idea how long it would take emergency services to get to them, but he knew he didn't have long until Derek went completely berserk. Pulling the neck of his hoodie over his mouth and nose, he reached for the fire extinguisher clipped to the wall and smashed the glass door of the locked cabinet. He threw the extinguisher to the ground and grabbed a handful of bottles labelled propofol, before searching through the drawers and pocketing a couple of syringes. 

Keeping his head down, he ran back into the hallway, intending to return to the visitors room, but found himself knocked on his ass by a confused looking man in a hospital gown and slippers. The man stood only a head taller than him, but sported arms as thick as tree trunks, and a broad, muscled chest. The man winced and coughed as he placed one hand on the wall to steady himself. Stiles pushed off the ground and moved forward to help, but froze when the man's head snapped up and his dark eyes fixed on him. 

"Omega" 

Stiles stumbled back and watched the man straighten and lick his lips. He glanced down at the man's crotch, saw the thick outline of his dick pressing against the flimsy material of the hospital gown, and ran. He could hear the man's slippers slapping on the tile behind him but tried to ignore it as he focused on getting back to Derek. Running from one crazy alpha to another didn't sound like the best idea, but where the raging boner behind him had looked at him like a dog in heat, the maybe-not-so-huge-asshole alpha ahead of him had begged him to run. So...yeah, in this life or virgin ass situation, Derek most definitely came out on top. Stiles reminded himself to tell Peter about that genius pun later as he skidded into the visitors room, and slammed the door shut behind him. 

"S-stil-aaargh...oh my g-need to-" 

Stiles ignored Derek's crazed ramblings and searched for a way to barricade the door. Fucking hospital with its crappy lock free door! His eyes stopped on the vending machine and he scrambled across the room, unplugged the thing, and slid it across the room. As he pushed the machine in front of the door, he once again, mentally thanked Peter for being such an asshole about training, and pushed all his weight against the machine as the the raging boner in the hallway pounded on the door. Stiles gritted his teeth and pushed back as the door was pushed open an inch, and the alpha yelled through the crack. 

"OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR, OMEGA! COME ON, OPEN UP! I'LL GO SLOW IF YOU OPEN UP RIGHT NOW!" laughed the alpha. 

Fuck this! Stiles looked around the room and spotted another fire extinguisher clipped to the wall beside the door. Taking a deep, steadying breath, he pushed off the vending machine, reached for the extinguisher, pulled the pin and aimed the nozzle through the crack in the door. The raging boner cried out in pain when white foam shot out of the nozzle and splattered across his face and into his eyes. Stiles moved back around the vending machine and pushed until the door slammed shut. Chest heaving from the adrenaline, he slumped to the ground, closed his eyes and tried to still his shaking hands. 

Stiles snapped open his eyes and kicked out when he felt a hand circle his ankle and pull. Looking up, he saw a flushed, sweating Derek watching him with hungry eyes, before yanking him to the floor on his back. Fear; sharp, heart stopping fear, ran through him as the alpha slithered up his body and loomed over him. Pushing against the alpha's chest, Stiles bucked beneath him and tried to unseat him, but Derek merely grasped his wrists and pinned them to the floor. 

"St-stiles..." croaked the alpha above him as he leaned down and buried his face into the crook of his neck. Stiles struggled against Derek's hold as he felt warm lips trail up his throat, across his jaw and pause a hair's breadth from his mouth. He looked up and saw the alpha visibly tremble as he stared at his mouth. The hands circling his wrists loosened their hold and moved to gently cup his cheeks, as he felt the alpha's powerful body tremble and shudder above him. As a thumb trailed softly across his lips, Stiles looked up directly into the jade green eyes above him, and in a low but firm voice, said "No".

 

*************************

Derek felt the word spoken against his thumb and froze. He looked down at the pale, wet omega beneath him and saw fear lurking behind the fury and indignation. Heat pooled low in his belly and his body begged and pleaded with him to just...fuck...just swoop down and devour that plush pink mouth, to run his tongue across every inch of smooth, pale skin until he found that intimate place where he knew the omega's deliciously sweet scent would be the strongest. Golden eyes flashed dangerously beneath him and he watched tears pool in the omega's eyes as he whispered 'no' over and over and over again. 

Derek recoiled at the fear he felt in every denial, and struggled to fight the urges ripping through his body. He gritted his teeth as another wave of need washed over him, and slowly uncurled trembling hands from around the boy's jaw. Fighting every muscle in his body, he rolled off of the omega and clawed at the wet, tiled floor as pulse after pulse of need shot through his body. No, no, no...stop, stop, STOP! Derek cried out as his body heated and his heart raced, as he denied his body the release it so desperately craved. He shrugged off the hand that clasped his shoulder and begged the omega to go...please go...just go. 

 

*************************

 

Stiles ignored the alpha's pleas for him to leave and quickly removed the propofol and syringes from his pocket. He pierced one of the bottles with a needle and filled the syringe with the milky white anesthetic, before glancing down at the shaking alpha. Derek's skin had turned an alarming shade of red and even though sweat poured down his face, the alpha's fingertips were quickly turning blue. Derek's choked, desperate pleas, begging him to go, cemented his resolve to get the alpha out of here. Derek had stopped, he had no idea how, but...he'd stopped, and dammit, he refused to let the alpha die here. 

"YOU FUCKING BITCH! I'M GOING TO RIP YOU IN HALF!" 

Stiles jumped when the pounding on the door resumed, and the syringe fell from his hands and rolled beneath the vending machine. He scrambled back across the room as the vending machine barricading the door crashed to the floor and the door to the visitors room was shoved open. A hulking, angry, naked alpha with blood shot eyes darkened the doorway and fixed on him with a menacing look. Stiles paled when he saw another, older man behind the naked alpha and searched desperately for something to use as a weapon. He tried to calm his pounding heart as the naked alpha stepped forward, stroked himself, and panted like a bitch. He watched the second alpha shrug off his hospital gown and approach him from the other side of the room. As the naked alpha's closed in, Stiles glanced at the fully clothed alpha shaking on the floor and whispered "Sorry Derek".

 

**************************

 

He heard the terror and resignation in the boy's voice and his eyes snapped open. The sugary sweet scent of the omega had dulled somewhat and his head felt less...heavy...than it had a moment ago. Derek slowly sat up and grimaced when he felt his erection straining painfully against his jeans. He looked up, did a double take, and froze as he tried to comprehend the scene in front of him. Two naked alpha's stood either side of Stiles, caging him against the back wall as they stroked themselves. He saw the older alpha reach out and curl his fingers around Stiles' head, before moving forward with his dick in hand. The small sob that escaped Stiles' mouth was what unfroze him. 

Derek jumped up, and grabbing the older alpha's hair, knocked his head hard against the back wall. The alpha screamed in pain and pushed back, before turning around and punching him in the face. Derek ignored the lighting bolts of pain that radiated through his jaw, and crouched low punching the alpha in the stomach, one, two, three times. The alpha fell to the floor in pain and clutched his quickly reddening stomach. Wiping the blood from his mouth, he turned back to see Stiles plunging a syringe into the younger alpha's thigh, before hitting him in the crotch with a closed fist. The alpha fell to his knees and toppled face first onto the tiled floor. 

Chest heaving, the omega clutched the back of a plastic chair and pulled himself to his feet. Derek winced as he saw the blood staining the omega's face and moved forward to help him. As he stepped forward, he felt a stabbing pain in his chest, and collapsed. 

 

*************************

 

Stiles frowned as he saw Derek stumble, and watched in shock as the alpha toppled forward, his head clipping the edge of a plastic chair, and fell to the ground. Before he could even process what had just happened, he heard a commotion behind him and turned to see a group of people in hazmat suits flood into the hallway. Two of the group broke off and rushed towards the visitors room, and he angled his body to sheild Derek's unconscious form, even as he prayed that these were the good guys. 

"STILES?! ARE YOU OK?" 

He recognised Melissa's voice and almost collapsed in relief. Nodding, he shifted his body and gestured at Derek. Through the small, clear, face shield, he saw her eyes widen in alarm as she took in the sight of Derek lying bloody and unconscious on the floor. He watched her quickly crouch beside him and check the alpha's vitals, as the second person in the hazmat suit looked over the two asshole alphas lying naked on the floor. As the panic and fear of the last 20 minutes receded and he was ushered out of the room, he glanced back and clenched his jaw when he saw Derek's blood stained, pale face. What a truly shitty fucking week. 

 

***************************

 

Charlie Tuft blew out a ring of smoke and flicked the cigarette butt on the ground. Pulling out his phone, he swiped to make the call and rubbed his eyes as he listened to the ring, ring, ring. The hospital grounds had been cordoned off and everywhere he looked he could see police officers and emergency service personnel milling around the parking lot. The street lights cast an orange glow over the shell shocked faces of the small group of doctors and nurses huddled beneath the incident tent that the police had set up, and Charlie shook his head as exhaustion washed over him. What the fuck was the world coming to, he wondered. 

"Hello?" 

Charlie turned his back on the scene and said "Trav, I'm at Beacon Hills Memorial, you need to get down here right now." 

"Why? Hell, more than half the force is already out there, and I've got a domestic I need to go check on."

Charlie scrubbed a hand through his sandy hair and sighed. "Trav, the piece of shit that set off the bomb? He just told me that he was paid to do it by a guy calling himself 'Argentum'."

He heard his friend's sharp intake of breath and pulled another cigarette out of his top pocket. 

"Exactly, so get your ass down here, now." 

 

*************************

 

Gérard watched the chaos unfold on the small TV screen in the 'entertainment room' and laughed. In an attempt to dull the depression of having to sign his life away tomorrow, he'd slipped the guard a few crisp notes in return for a bottle of cheap booze, and had been drinking all night. The men around him snarled as he laughed, and told him to 'shut the fuck up gramps', but he couldn't help himself, and laughed even harder. 

"You're finally getting what you deserve, Hale!" he yelled at the screen, before the man beside him grabbed his collar and smacked him in the face. 

"What the fuck did we just tell you?" he hissed before throwing him back in his seat. The guards watched the scene impassively, and he straightened his collar and folded his arms. Despite the stinging of his cheek, the image of the cordoned off hospital brought a smile to his face; he hoped all the bastards burned to death. 

 

TBC........

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I write my stories on my phone because my laptop died in January, so please let me know if you spot any mistakes. Thank you :-)


	41. Chapter 41

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Detective Micheal Travis questions the suspect and David visits his son....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I know, I know, another late update - apologies. I hope you enjoy the new chapter in any case and as always thank you so very much for your kudos and kind comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Michael Travis leaned back in his chair and studied the slight man sat across from him. James Holden was a 31 year old small time bookie, with a receding hair line, a skeletal frame, and a nervous tick that caused him to blink rapidly every time he was asked a question. James, or Jimmy as he preferred to be called, was a plain, unassuming man who was the last person he'd have ever suspected of setting off a bomb. Don't judge a book, he guessed. He'd been sat with Jimmy in the cramped interview room at the station for hours, and despite the man's lengthy confession, he couldn't help but think that something wasn't right. It felt too easy, ridiculous even...Argentum, really? 

"Tell me again, Jimmy; why didn't you just leave the scene as soon as the bomb was planted. Why wait around?" 

Jimmy blinked and scratched the inside of his arm. "I told you, I didn't mean to wait so long. I just wanted to see it go off, y'know?" 

"Uh huh, and why did you want to see it 'go off' ?" he asked, resting his ankle on his knee and tapping his pen on the table top. Jimmy scowled at him and scratched the inside of his arm again. 

"How many ti- I told you already! I wanted to see those little wh- wh-" he furrowed his brow as Jimmy faltered and shifted in his seat. 

"Those little what, Jimmy?" 

The slight man clenched his jaw and slammed his hand down on the table. "I wanted to see those little whores get everything they deserve. Fucking protesting and shit! They needed to be shown their place!" Micheal listened to the rant passively and continued to tap his pen on the table. Jimmy wiped spittle from the corners of his mouth and glared at him as if to say 'there; satisfied?'. Sufficed to say he was not impressed by the runt's bitch fit. 

The door to the interview room swung open and Detective Scott Murphy stepped into the room with two plastic cups of crappy station coffee. Murphy set the cups on the table and took a seat beside him. 

"Everything ok here, Trav?" 

Micheal glanced at the blonde haired, blue eyed, chiseled jawed, strapping hulk of an alpha that had transferred over from New York a few months ago, and shrugged. 

"Sure, we're fine, right Jimmy?" he asked turning his gaze back to the skinny runt of an alpha sat across from him. Jimmy snatched the cup of coffee from the table and flipped him the bird. Micheal smiled and turned to Murphy. 

"See? The piece of shit loves me." 

Murphy frowned at his antics and reached for the statement sat under his forearm. 

"Alright Jimmy, so, let's go over this one more time, ok?" 

Micheal checked out as Murphy read Jimmy's statement aloud, already having heard similar versions of it many times over the past few hours. According to Jimmy, early yesterday morning he'd been approached by a man calling himself 'Argentum', who told him that he'd heard about one of Jimmy's anti-omega blog and wanted his help in furthering 'the cause'. Apparently, furthering the cause entailed setting off a smoke bomb filled with a toxic dose of Libidaugon 145, with the aim of drugging multiple alphas and getting them to rape, and hopefully kill Peter Hale; the omega of the moment. Jimmy claimed not to know why Hale had been targeted specifically, only that the man calling himself 'Argentum' had highlighted the importance of 'finishing him off'. According to Jimmy, once he agreed to help 'further the cause', the man handed him an envelope stuffed with $10,000 cash, a box containing the bomb, and then told him where he could find Hale. When asked for a description of 'Argentum', Jimmy had shrugged and said 'some fat guy with dark hair and bottle cap glasses'. 

Michael sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. Something about Jimmy's story just didn't sit right with him, but he doubted his higher ups would approve of him delaying a resolution to the bombing simply because his gut (and 18 years of experience) was telling him that something was off. 

"Trav? Travis?" 

He blinked and looked up to see Murphy and Jimmy staring at him. 

"What?" he asked Murphy, who appeared exasperated with him. He couldn't really blame the blonde wunderkind; despite Jimmy's confession at the scene, he'd insisted on grilling him through the night. 

"We're done here, you ready to take him back to lock up?" 

He glanced down at Jimmy's signed statement and nodded. Who gave a crap about his gut? The department certainly didn't. Gérard Argent had targeted both William Hale's son and grandson, and they had evidence linking him to both crimes. After the recent public fiascos involving omegas, as well as the revelation that the Chief of Police had conspired to conceal a crime involving a particularly prominent omega, all the department really cared about was good PR. And what could be better PR than parading this idiots statement in the media and then locking up Argent for good, all the while, loudly declaring another win for the 'good guys'. USA! USA! USA! Suck on that liberals! Christ. 

"Yeah, yeah, let's go. Come on, Jimmy.." he mocked "...your palace awaits." 

Jimmy glared at him, Murphy sighed, and Micheal smiled as they stepped out into the hallway. 

"TRAVIS!"

He looked back to see Shelly, the lab tech, running towards him. The kid was all of 12 years old and standing at only 5 feet with long chestnut hair and a perpetual smile, she made him feel like the big, not so friendly giant. Christ, was everyone getting younger or was he just getting older, he wondered as Shelly handed him an ipad. He glanced over his shoulder and told Murphy to take Jimmy to his cell. The blonde huffed at being ordered around, but acquiesced nonetheless, and shoved Jimmy in the direction of the cells. 

"Ok, Shelly, what am I looking at?" he asked, turning back to the tech. 

Shelly swiped the screen and an image of the evidence recovered from Jimmy's car appeared. Shelly tapped on the brown envelope that had been found in Jimmy's glove compartment and a new page opened up showing a close up of the envelope with what looked like a purple smudge in the top right hand corner. 

"That, Travis, is a fingerprint" she said with a smug smile on her face. Micheal arched a brow and waited for her to explain; her smugness was rarely undeserved. 

"It's not Holden's. I ran the print through the database on the off chance I might get a hit, and guess what?" 

"You got a hit?" he asked, impressed with the speed at which she'd conducted the testing.

"I got a hit. Travis, meet Brent Landford..." she said, swiping to an image of a dark haired, chubby guy with rosy cheeks "...Mr. Landford is a 42 year old Lawyer, specialising in tort law. He enjoys golf, and is a big fan of hunting and scantily clad women according to his Facebook page. Surprise, surprise, right?" 

"Shelly" 

"Right, sorry, anyway; guess where Mr. Landford has been employed for the past 6 years?" she asked, before swiping to another image. His eyes widened as he saw the chubby, dark haired Landford standing beside a smiling Gérard Argent in front of a well known country club. 

"You're sure?" he asked, as his gut churned with uncertainty once again. Shelly crossed her arms, clearly offended, and he sighed. "Relax kid, after what happened with the Chief...we just need to cover all our bases, ok?"

The tech reluctantly agreed and beckoned him over to a computer terminal. She logged onto the police database and pulled up a record of a DUI arrest from last summer. 

"Landford was arrested last year for driving under the influence. He was fingerprinted as a result of that arrest, so yes, I'm sure, " she said, glancing up at him. 

He nodded and thanked her, before calling Murphy. As he waited for Murphy by the car ten minutes later, he was reminded of an old quote about orgies and evidence. 

 

*************************

"His ECG and blood results are normal, his temperature is still a little higher than I'd like but within the acceptable range, and his CT scan didn't show any lasting damage. He may have some difficulties remembering exactly what took place while he was under the effect of the drug, but otherwise....I believe Derek will make a full recovery." 

William closed his eyes and discreetly wiped a tear from the corner of his eye as the doctor gave them the good news. Banishing the dark images that had plagued him for the last eight hours, he opened his eyes and smiled gratefully at the doctor. He could hear his daughter's choked sobs behind him, but found himself unable to summon even an ounce of sympathy or mercy. The destruction of her actions and of those she surrounded herself with may not have been intentional, but the trail of devastation that lay in the wake of those actions, and of those decisions, was nonetheless horrifying....perhaps even unforgivable. He gritted his teeth and ignored the sharp pain that shot across his chest as he slowly got to his feet. 

"Thank you so much Doctor...I don't have the words to express how much you've done for my family today" he said as he gripped the Doctor's hand. The woman smiled and nodded, before excusing herself from the room. William looked across the room to see his granddaughter's consoling their sobbing mother and quietly turned around and left the room. 

A moment later, he eased open the door to Derek's room and paused when he caught sight of David sitting at his son's bedside. 

"Is he ok?" rasped David without looking up at him. William shut the door behind him and walked over to the bed. His son in law looked terrible; his usually smooth cheeks were rough and stubbled, his eyes were blood shot, his $200 shirt was creased and ringed with sweat, and a strong smell of alcohol hung in the air around him. Good god, is this what his family had been reduced to? He smoothed a hand across his grandson's hair and answered "they said he's going to be fine. David..." he waited until the man looked up at him "he's going to be ok". David squeezed his son's hand and nodded.

"How's Cam?" he asked, suddenly aware of the fact that if David was here, then that meant Cam was alone. 

David placed a hand over his eyes and sighed in exhaustion. "He's fine too. First heats are always tough, but my boy's a fighter, he'll be fine..." he removed his hand and turned his gaze back to Derek "...after Cora called and told me about Derek, I had to come. But, don't worry," he said glancing at him "I left him in the very capable hands of a doctor I know, who specialises in omegas. They're my children, Will, so trust me, their safety and well being is paramount to me." 

He nodded and accepted the subtle rebuke without argument. David was right; they were his children, and unlike Talia, he could not argue the fact that his son in law had indeed always put the needs of his children before his own. 

"Did the doctor say when he's going to wake up? It's just...Cam...I need to get back before his heat finishes. I don't - I -" David pushed off the chair he'd been sat in, and paced along Derek's bedside "what do I do here, Will? I have one son undergoing his first heat miles from home, and I have another son who, after just being released from the hospital yesterday, is back in the hospital after surviving a Libidaugon filled fucking bomb! What do I do? Who do I choose?!" David asked hysterically. 

William rounded the bed and placed a heavy hand on David's shoulder. "David? Look at me, hey..." his son in law blinked away tears and looked at him "...this is what you're going to do; you're going to spend another few hours here with Derek, and then you're going to drive back to Cam. I'll take care of Derek, and you're going to take care of Cam. Ok?" 

David took a deep, steadying breath and nodded before resuming his position by Derek's bedside. William watched father and son for a moment, before exiting the room and walking down the hallway to Peter's room. A nurse smiled at him as he entered the room and he waited patiently while she conducted her hourly checks. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he moved to stand by the windows before answering it.  
Who on earth could be calling him at four fifty in the morning, he wondered. 

"Hello?" 

"William, it's me.. " he frowned as he recognised Jonathan's voice "I know you're busy at the hospital, but I just talked to a friend at the station, and I think there's something you should know about the bombing...."

 

***************************

 

As darkness turned to light and the inky violet sky turned lilac and pink, Micheal pulled up in front of the glass fronted building and illegally parked the nondescript grey sedan. Murphy followed him out of the car and up to the glass doors of the building. The uniformed doorman halted their steps and asked them for their names and the name of the tenant they were visiting. Micheal pulled out his badge and facetiously said "we're selling cookies door to door, support the boy's in blue and all that. " 

Murphy pushed past him and hissed 'shut your goddamned mouth Travis!', and he was forced to listen to Murphy explain that they were here to see Brent Landford and that they had a warrant. The doorman flushed and apologised, before opening the door with a swipe of an ID card and pointing them in the direction of the elevators. As they walked into the glass and chrome, expensive looking lobby, Micheal glanced back at the doorman and said "a squad car should be here in the next 30 seconds, send them straight up," to which the beta stammered out a 'yes sir'. 

Murphy remained silent the entire ride up to the penthouse suite and Michael amused himself by reading through the arrest warrant again. There was little point in making small talk, the blonde wunderkind and he had a what you would call, hate hate relationship. Murphy was the young, fast rising star that had gone from beat cop to detective in 2 and a half years, who always followed the rule book to a t, and he was the aging anachronism that used the rule book to steady that one wonky table leg in the interview rooms. Go figure. But, Murphy was the lead detective on the bombing, so he reminded himself to play nice. The elevator finally stopped and he folded the warrant as the doors slid open. 

"What the hell?" he heard Murphy mutter beside him. Micheal pocketed the arrest warrant and stepped into the apartment, making sure to step around the shards of glass and ceramic that littered the white marble tiled floor. He glanced back at Murphy and reached for his gun, before slowly moving forward. 

He held his gun extended infront of him and motioned for Murphy to follow. They followed the trail of destruction around a corner and paused when they saw Brent Landford pale, and slumped over on the white leather sofa. Empty bottles of alcohol and dozens of small orange pill bottles littered the floor around the sofa. 

Murphy carefully stepped around the booze and pill bottles on the floor, and quickly swept the rest of the apartment as Micheal checked Landford's pulse. As Murphy stepped back into the room, he pulled his phone from his back pocket and called the station. 

"This is detective Travis, I'm going to need a CSI team and the medical examiner at..."

 

TBC......


	42. Chapter 42

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Scott talk and Gérard deals with a hostile DA.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoy the new chapter and as always, thank you so, so, so much for your kudos and comments; they really do push me to write more - so thanks! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"Touch me, Jake...I want you so -ah- much...please" whispered the dark haired omega with bouncing breasts and blood red lips. "I can feel how much you want me..." she moaned as she pressed into him "you can have me...".

The handsome brown haired alpha pushed her away and stammered "I- I can't, Nina...please s-st -oh god - stop...I love Katie -"

The sultry omega pushed him back on the bed and straddled him while sensually unbuttoning her shirt. The green silk parted to reveal a lacy red bra and the alpha whimpered beneath her. The omega leaned down and softly kissed his lips. 

"Come on, Jake...can't you smell how much I need you?" the omega asked, unbuckling his belt "it hurts so much, Jake...make it better...make the ache go away...please". The alpha's eyes clouded over before he curled his fingers into the omega's dark, silky hair, and pulled her down to ravage her plush mouth. As alpha and omega writhed on wine coloured sheets, the camera panned to a crackling fire for a moment before the screen finally darkened. 

Soft, tinkling music was interrupted by a booming voice announcing 'next time on; You Only Live Once'. An image of the alpha scrambling off of the rumpled bed sheets, naked and horrified, appeared on the screen. "What did you do to me?" he asked in a shaky voice, as the shot cut to the sultry omega stretching languidly on the bed, her dark hair messy and her red lips swollen and glistening. 

"Nothing you didn't want me to, Jake...mmmm" she moaned, hand trailing down her throat and eyes fluttering shut "that was sooo good... come back to bed, alpha, and I promise...by the time we're done, you'll forget all about that sweet little beta you have sitting at home." A final image of the confused, vulnerable looking alpha appeared on the screen before the music started up again and credits rolled across the screen.

Stiles ground his teeth and tried to surpress the seething rage that reared up inside him. The TV screen cast a dim light over the dark couch and he grimaced as pain shot across his bruised back. The final credit faded from the screen and a commercial advertising a 'new and improved' heat surpressant pill played on the screen; showing smiling, bright eyed omega's running determinedly, delivering a presentation, and frolicking with cute kids. Stiles pushed off the couch, picked up a metal walking stick that had been lying around in the break room for days, and calmly walked to the TV stand. Positioning himself at an angle to the TV, he cracked his neck, lifted the walking stick and swung it powerfully at the screen. The screen shattered and the image of a pretty blonde in a tight white tshirt swallowing a pill and smiling at the camera, flickered and disappeared. 

Stiles threw the walking stick across the room and returned to the couch. Dropping his head back on the arm of the couch, he closed his eyes and revelled in the silence of the early morning. An image of a naked, aroused alpha flashed before his eyes and he shuddered as he felt phantom fingers dig into his skull and pull him forward. He wrenched open his eyes and stared at the swirled artex ceiling of the break room as he tried to erase the memories of last night's bombing from his mind. As pale yellow light flooded into the room through the large break room windows, he turned his head to gaze at the brightening sky and laughed bitterly. No matter how many times he got up and dusted himself off, it seemed life was determined to knock his ass back down, and frankly...he was getting tired of heaving his omega ass off the ground. 

"What happened to the TV?" 

He looked back to see Scott McCall standing in the doorway. Stiles stared at the beta for a minute before sitting up and shrugging. 

"It offended me."

"It offended you?" asked Scott skeptically as he walked around the couch and sat down beside him. 

"Yes, it offended me. Did you need something, or was that amazingly witty opening line just a way of cosying up to the poor, weak omega?" he asked scathingly. Scott looked at him thoughtfully for a moment before pulling a candy bar out of his pocket and throwing it his lap. Stiles stared down at the candy bar in confusion and opened his mouth to ask another petulant question. 

"I was 8 when my dad left me and mom. He was this really well respected police officer and people used to always tell my mom that she was so lucky to have such a great husband. Even my friend's thought I was the luckiest kid on the planet because my dad was this big, awesome, police officer alpha that kicked ass. To everybody else he was this big hero y'know, but to us...to me and mom he was this angry, drunk monster. He'd drink all the time at home and then he'd scream and shout and tell my mom how worthless she was and how he hated having a puny little beta for a kid. One day, I think it was a few days before he left...I'm not sure, but I came home from school and found him half naked, on top of a young, pretty omega," he watched Scott ball his hands into fists and stare at the broken TV. 

"The girl saw me standing in the doorway to the lounge but she didn't say anything...she just stared at me with these big, brown eyes...and I remember thinking...why is she crying? Later, after he'd left, we found out that he'd been forcing young, vulnerable omega's to sleep with him; if they didn't do what he wanted, then he'd arrest them on a bogus charge and they'd be stuck in jail for weeks, sometimes months, until they caved. The girl I caught him with was a 16 year old homeless girl named Jessie who he'd found trying to steal food from a deli he and his cop buddies ate lunch at every day. She was so scared for so long after he left and mom was so disgusted by what my dad had done that she opened our home to her, and did everything she could to help. After he left, I watched Jessie get up every day, watched her fight every fibre in her body, every dark thought in her head that told her to lie back down and hide from the world...she's probably one of the strongest people I've ever met in my life." 

Scott paused and turned to look at him. "I don't think you're weak, Stiles, I just wanted to see if you were ok....but maybe now wasn't the best time to talk to you," he said, standing up and walking towards the door. Before he walked out of the room, Scott paused and turned around. "Just an FYI, if you ever need someone to talk to or just someone to bitch at some more, I'm around most mornings and evenings." 

Stiles stared blankly at him and watched his hopeful expression dim a little. Scott nodded awkwardly at him and turned to walk away. 

"Scott?" 

"Yeah?" the beta said turning back to him.

"What happened to Jessie?" 

A blindingly bright smile crept onto Scott's face as he responded "she lives up in Montana now with her wife and their five kids. It's a madhouse, but she loves it." 

Stiles swallowed his emotion and blinked away tears, before choking out "thanks - thank you, Scott...for checking on me." The beta smiled and shook his head. 

"No problem dude, gimme a shout if you need anything. Oh, and mom said to tell you to eat something," he said, walking backwards out the door and pointing at the candy bar in his lap. Stiles rolled his eyes, picked up the snickers bar and ripped it open before taking a huge bite. Scott gave him the thumbs up and disappeared down the hallway. As he chewed on the dense chocolatey nougat, he reflected on the past few weeks and came to a decision. It was time to dust himself off, look life right in the eye, and tell it 'you hit like a bitch'.

 

**************************

 

"Travis, heads up; the Chief's here" yelled one of the CSI techs. Micheal cursed and told the medical examiner he'd be back to speak to him in a few mintues, before beckoning Murphy over to the elevator. Murphy yawned and scrubbed a hand through his hair as he leaned against the wall by the elevator. 

"What the fuck is the Chief doing here, Murphy?" he snapped at the alpha. Murphy shot him an unimpressed look and scratched his cheek. 

"Well Travis, you remember how the Chief spoke to us yesterday about wanting to be notified asap about any developments in the case? Guess what? This is a development and I notified him. Asap." 

Micheal opened his mouth to tell the blonde dickbag where he could shove his notification, asap, when the elevator doors opened and Interim Acting Chief Clayton McCarthy stepped into the penthouse. McCarthy stood at just under 6 ft tall, with ebony skin and the muscular build of a man much younger than his 58 years. Unlike his colleagues, Micheal found the man impressive more than intimidating. 

He clamped his mouth shut and greeted the Chief with a curt nod. McCarthy glanced between him and Murphy, gestured for them to follow him and walked around the corner to the living area. Landford's body had been photographed in situ but was now wrapped in a body bag waiting to be removed to the morgue, and CSI techs milled around the room collecting evidence and photographing every inch of the scene. McCarthy swept his gaze around the apartment and asked "where are you at?"

Murphy stepped forward and gave McCarthy an overview of the case thus far, starting with Peter Hale's abduction and ending with Brent Landford's apparent suicide.

"Did you find any other evidence linking Argent to the bombing? Because I highly doubt that the DA will authorise any charges being filed solely on the basis of Holden's statement" said McCarthy once Murphy finished speaking. 

Murphy called over the IT tech that had been combing through Landford's computer and told the kid to explain to the Chief what he'd found. The kid smoothed a hand down his far too wide tie, cleared his throat, and explained that he'd found evidence of a wire transfer to Landford's account in the amount of $10,000 originating from Argent's personal bank account.

"When?" asked McCarthy. 

"Late the day before yesterday, Sir; the third." 

"But Argent was in police custody by then, so how did he transfer those funds?" 

The kid turned to him as though to say 'your turn' and Micheal told the Chief that they'd been in touch with the banks and that that information would be forthcoming. McCarthy nodded and dismissed the tech before fixing on him and Murphy with a stern gaze. 

"I don't need to tell you how serious this situation is; it's not only the country that's watching our every move, it's the entire goddamned world! So, don't fuck up. I want daily reports on my desk at the end of each day and you don't make a move without my authority. Understood?" he asked, dark gaze flitting between him and Murphy. 

Both detectives nodded and McCarthy left the apartment a few moments later, looking no less stressed than when he'd arrived. Given the amount of bullshit the man must be dealing with from those above him in the chain of command, he could hardly blame the Chief for being such a micromanaging hard ass, but that didn't mean that he'd simply accept whatever he found as truth in order to facilitate a quick, easy resolution to the case. Fuck PR; police work should never fucking bend or contort itself to the whims of public outrage, that kind of shit led to vengeance not justice. The niggling doubt that something wasn't right still sat heavy in his gut, and he was determined to uncover the truth, no matter what. 

"Travis?" he was pulled from his thoughts by Murphy calling his name.

"Yeah?" 

"I'm gonna hang around here and call the prison, see if Landford paid Argent a visit anytime in the last two days. You gonna ride with Louis?" 

Micheal looked over Murphy's shoulder to see the portly medical examiner hunched over Landford's body making notes, and nodded. "Yeah, I'll see you back at the station. Call me if you find anything. Louis?" he called across to the ME "you ready to go?" 

The ME nodded and instructed his minions to ready the body for transport. Christ almighty, Micheal thought as he watched the two skinny minions wrestle Landford's hefty body onto the gurney, why was death always so undignified. 

 

**************************

 

Gérard stared at the dotted line and tightened his hold on his attorney's gold plated pen. Gold fucking plated. Clearly he was paying the vulture too much money if even his pens were gold plated 

"Mr. Argent, could we hurry this along, I have another meeting to get to." 

He glanced up at the grey haired hag sitting across from him and reigned in the urge to reach across the table and throttle the bitch. 

"Is that tone really necessary, Helen? My client has been more than cooperative thus far. I-" 

District Attorney Helen Cordell silenced his attorney with a cold look and said "cut the shit, Jerry. We both know that 18 months at Oakworth is far less than your client deserves. Sign the statement Mr. Argent" she had the temerity to instruct, returning her hostile gaze to him. 

Despite his fury at being forced into signing a statement admitting his guilt in Hale's abduction, the sight of this bitch's clenched jaw and blotched cheeks brought a smile to his face. 18 months at a low security state prison with the possibility of parole after 9 months was a damn good deal considering the political climate, and he was once again reminded of the benefits of cultivating relationships with those in high places. Without breaking eye contact with the DA, he signed the statement and slid it across the table. 

"Done. Anything else?" he asked in a mockingly sweet tone. The woman ignored him, gathered her papers and banged on the door to signal the guard. "What? Not even a goodbye?" he asked the back of the woman's head. He heard Jerry chuckle beside him and leaned back in his chair, satisfied and arrogant. 

As the door swung open, the grey haired alpha turned to face him, loathing etched in every line of her face. "I don't care who you paid or blackmailed to get this deal, but I promise you Argent, I'm going to do everything in my power to ensure that you never see sunlight again. Good day, gentlemen." 

Gérard watched her retreating back and felt his amusement quickly fade. 

 

TBC.......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just saw the word count...omg :\


	43. Chapter 43

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria deals with Kate and Derek makes a decision...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, many apologies for the late update, I got busy with work and RL, terribly inconsiderate I know ;-). Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter, and as always thank you so very much for your kudos and comments - which are amazing btw! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Victoria jerked awake in a cold sweat with the sensation of powerful hands still ghosting across her hips. Throwing off the shawl that she'd draped over herself the night before, she unfolded her body from the tiny sofa and walked over to Kate's bedside. The pale light of the morning sun filtered through the blinds and fell over the narrow hospital bed, highlighting Kate's pale, sleeping face. Lifting the edge of the blanket, she pulled it over her daughter's chest and smoothed a hand across her messy hair. Victoria's eyes inevitably fell, as they had so many times through the night, to the slim forearm that rested on the bed. With inexplicably steady hands she trailed her fingers down the trail of puncture marks that bruised the pale skin and, with great difficulty, swallowed the lump in her throat. 

"Did you know?" 

Blinking away tears, she held her daughter's limp, cool hand and shook her head in respose to the question. She should have known. How was it possible for a mother to be so blind to the torment of her only child, she wondered, releasing Kate's hand and collapsing on to the plastic chair beside the bed. Her soon to be ex - husband wheeled himself up to the bedside and sat beside her quietly. She and Chris had failed in many incarnations of their relationship over the years; girlfriend and boyfriend, friend and foe, husband and wife, but it was this failing; this failing of mother and father that stung the most. She felt a tear roll down her cheek as she watched the slow rise and fall of her daughter's chest, and tentatively broke the choking silence. 

"When I first found out I was pregnant I was so angry with myself...I remember thinking...I have to get this thing out of my body...this unwanted, parasitic thing is going to destroy my life... it's going to wreck everything I've worked so hard for. Even when I was sat in that depressing little waiting room in that clinic off of Hinton Street, I was sure that I was doing the right thing. You were...gone...and there was no way I was going to bring a baby into the world alone. I had to wait for a full hour before the little asian nurse called my name, but even then...even after sitting in a room full of somber women for an hour, and listening to the choked sobs of the 14 year old next to me...I didn't hesitate, because I knew, I knew in my bones that I was doing the right thing. So, I sat there and I listened to a lab coated beta with bad breath tell me how he was going to make it go away...make the thing disappear, and I felt so sure....so, so sure, Chris" she turned to look at him with red rimmed eyes "...but then I felt her..." her breath hitched as she remembered that fluttering sensation in her belly "...I felt this thing...this...baby...move inside me and I...couldn't do it...all my certainty disappeared in that one instant. One heartbeat of time changed the course of my life and before I even understood what had happened, I had this tiny, screaming human bundled in my arms... covered in blood and gunk...and completely mine...this tiny, beautiful thing that...I can't- I don't- I...I-" unable to stifle the emotion any longer, she covered her face with her hands as grief ripped through her. She choked back a sob when she felt Chris's familiar, calloused hand grasp her shoulder, and wiping the tears from her face, looked up at him. 

"She needs a kidney, Chris...how -"

"I know, that's why I got tested an hour ago." 

Victoria blanched at his words and vivid images of her nightmare flashed before her eyes as the skin on her hips and thighs tingled at the memory of strong hands sweeping across them. 

"What? But...why?...you're not..." she trailed off in a whispered, trembling voice as Chris sat back in his wheelchair and stared at Kate with a quiet intensity. 

"Did you know that the phrase 'blood is thicker than water' means the exact opposite of what most people think it means?" he asked without taking his eyes off of Kate. Victoria frowned at the non sequitur and opened her mouth to ask him to stop speaking in riddles, when he began speaking again. "Twenty years ago I made you an oath that I would love and care for the child you were carrying, but in the years since, I've let my pain...and my anger at what you and Gérard did at Stanford, keep me from truly fulfilling that promise. I've made a lot of mistakes, Victoria....so fucking many. I'm sorry for not being the father your daughter deserved, " he said turning back to her, his piercing blue eyes filled with remorse. 

She broke eye contact as shame flooded through her, threatening to choke the very air from her lungs, and stared at the grey floor tiles as he continued to speak. She balled her hands into fists in her lap and barely noticed the pain of her fingernails digging into her palm. 

"We may not be blood, but match or not, Kate is my daughter and I'll do everything in my power to get her healthy and happy. I promise, Victoria, I won't fuck this up again."

She glanced up to see Chris wheel his chair closer to the bed and hold Kate's hand tightly. Victoria felt her mouth go dry and her body break out in a cold sweat. Chris got tested. Oh my...god. He got tested?!? Slowly standing to her feet, she mumbled something about needing a coffee and stumbled out of the room. Gently closing the door behind her, she turned and looked through the glass panel to see her husband kiss Kate's hand before gently smoothing a hand across her forehead. She watched them a moment longer and turned around, striding purposefully towards the nurse's station. 

"Excuse me? Where is your pathology department located?" 

 

***************************

 

"How much do you remember?" 

He gulped down the bottle of water and tried to wash away the sweetness that still sat at the back of his tongue. 

"Enough. Is he ok?" 

His grandfather sat down on the bed beside him and sighed. 

"Physically? Yes. Mentally?...I'm not sure to be honest." 

He nodded absently and opened another bottle of water as the memory of trailing his lips across smooth, fragrant...deliciously sweet skin, made bile hit the back of his throat. 

"How are you feeling?" his grandfather asked. Derek took another long drink of water and shrugged. 

"I'm fine," he lied as the memory of a stabbing pain and an aching, burning need made him tighten his hold on the water bottle. 

"Derek, I think -" 

"Excuse me, Sir?" 

Both alpha's looked up to see a red headed nurse with short hair and green eyes standing uncertainly in the doorway, clutching a file to her chest. Derek eased himself back on the bed and leaned back against the headboard. 

"Yes?" his grandfather asked as the woman picked up the file she'd clumsily dropped on the floor. The redhead flushed and straightened before informing his grandfather that she'd been sent to check on "uh...Mr. Hale...uhm, sorry Sir, Mr. Derek Hale." Derek watched his grandfather vacillate between telling the nurse to come back later so they could talk further, and leaving their conversation unfinished and letting the woman do her job. He was relieved when his grandfather's concern for his physical health trumped his need to ascertain the stability of his grandson's mental health...well, for the moment atleast. 

"Of course, I'll be down the hall in my son's room," his grandfather said to the nurse before turning to him. "Derek, this conversation isn't over. Your mother and sisters are anxious to see you, so I'll speak to you after they've had a chance to visit with you. Do not move from this room. I'll come back to see you. Understood?" 

"Understood," he answered in a clipped voice. 

His grandfather frowned at his tone but said nothing as he left the room and closed the door behind him. Derek dropped his head back against the metal headboard and closed his eyes as he heard the door lock click into place and the nurse's footsteps near the bed. 

"I'm touched you came. Tell me, does your organisation always put such effort into recruiting, or is this just a 'you' thing? Because I have to tell you, I highly suspect it's a 'you' thing," he said indifferently. He heard a familiar throaty laugh and opened his eyes to see Erica, sans red wig, reclining on the small couch flipping through the file. 

"Brains, an ass that won't quit, and a sense of humour? Holy cow Batman! I think my panties just exploded!" she laughed as she jumped up from the couch and bounced over to his bedside. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, as she sat down on the bed and threw him the file. He looked down at the innocuous looking file and frowned when he saw a familiar name printed across a sheet of paper that had fallen loose of the folder. 

"What is this?" he asked quietly without touching the file on his lap. Erica raised her eyebrows and shrugged whilst tossing the red wig into the air and batting it across the room with the back of her hand. 

"Why don't you take a peek and find out? I know you wanna, GQ," she teased as she leaned back on her elbows and popped a piece of bright pink gum into her mouth. Derek glanced down at the name 'ARGENT' for one, two, three breaths, and thought 'fuck it'. Snatching up the file, he ignored Erica's smirk and read through page after page of police reports with mounting horror. When he reached the end of the file and saw photographs of Kate's grandfather sitting across from a familiar looking man in, what he knew to be an exclusive 'gentlemens club' for the 1% of the 1%, he paused. 

"I know that guy...where have I-" 

"He was the sexagenerian screwing your girlfriend. Interesting side note; he's also the head of the CCA - the Conservative Council of America," she added seeing his confused expression. 

"The Conservative Coun...wait. Isn't that the group that released that stupid '10 top tips to protect yourself from 'omega rape' allegations' poster a few years ago?" he asked as he tried to recall even one of the fucking ridiculous 'top tips'. He remembered reading the first 'top tip' of fucking 10, years ago, and immediately balling up the tacky poster and throwing it in the bin before even finishing the sentence. "The one that was posted nationally around college campuses and said something like...uh...don't accuse alphas and betas of rape if -"

" 'If you're dumb enough to leave the house the 3 weeks preceeding or following your heat. Don't lie about being taken advantage of when you simply used bad judgement' " Erica quoted as she sat up and smiled mockingly. "Because you know us omegas, right? Taking a step out of our homes up to a month before or after our heats is basically an open invitation for any and all to fuck us with impunity. Am I right or am I right?" she asked as she laughed bitterly. 

Derek silently watched her hop off the bed and grab the red wig off the floor. The omega plucked an apple from the fruit bowl on his nightstand and proceeded to use it, and the wig to crudely juggle. He watched the apple, then the wig, be thrown in to the air and waited until she glanced at him and winked to ask his next question.

"What is the head of the CCA doing with Gérard Argent?" 

"We believe the Argent's used the CCA to procure votes for the recent omega bill. The sexagenerian in the picture is named Richard Carson and is probably the biggest piece of shit you'll ever meet. Smart though, I'll give him that; he filtered all the money through various affiliated conservative groups before 'donating' generously to each of the Senators campaign funds. All legal and above board, and it has the added bonus of not being such a PR headache. Yay America!" she yelled, tossing the red wig at him. 

He caught the wig in his left hand and set it on the night stand before asking a question he really didn't want to ask; primarily because he didn't want to have to break into prison and murder his ex -girlfriend's grandfather. 

"Erica...did Kate have anything to do with..." he trailed off and gestured to a photograph of Gérard and Carson leering at an attractive male dancer. The omega hesitated and he knew...he just knew. Erica stilled and stared at the apple cupped in the palm of her hand. 

"One of the dancers at the club is an old friend. He told me that he overheard Carson specifically ask for some 'face time' with Argent's granddaughter. But, we haven't been able to verify or clarify that particular...aspect...of the story." 

The memory of Kate answering the door in a tight shirt and a short skirt while sucking on a lollipop, had troubled him for some time, but now the final, horrific piece of the puzzle slotted into place. 

"That sick sonofabitch," he whispered, as he remembered walking away and hearing her giggle from behind the closed door of her apartment. What the fuck had the sick freak done to her? Why, why, why had he walked away that day?

Throwing the file to the side, he pushed off the bed and paced the floor as images of Cam, Peter, Stiles, Alice, and Kate flashed before his eyes, one after the other, in quick succession. Fury churned in his gut and in a rage, he picked up the large glass vase on the night stand and flung it at the wall. The tinkling sound of shattered glass falling to the ground filled the room and he stared at the twinkling shards scattered on the grey tile in a trance. What the fuck was happening? How the fuck could any of this bullshit be allowed to continue as if it were nothing?

"It can't" 

He snapped out of his daze and turned to see Erica watching him with something akin to...pride? What?!  
"What?" he asked, genuinely confused. 

The shards of glass crunched beneath her feet as she stepped towards him. "You asked how this bullshit can continue, and the answer is, it can't. Something needs to change so that men like Gérard Argent can't get away with buying votes for a piece of draconian anti omega legislation using his own flesh and blood as fucking payment. So that he can't abduct an omega, pump him full of drugs, and later try to murder that same omega for having the audacity to survive by setting off a Libidaugon filled bomb, and sending sex crazed alphas after him. How is it possible that we live in a world where monsters reign supreme and no one bats a fucking eye?! I seriously don't get it.... I-remember what I told you yesterday about the world being kinda crazy? I was wrong. It's fucking certifiable."

"You're right," he whispered as she finished speaking and shook her head in disgust. "You're right, " he said more firmly, casting a glance at the file atop the bed. "I'm in."

"You're in? Seriously? What d'you think this is, a crappy Micheal Bay film?" 

He frowned at the jarring shift of tone and sighed in exasperation when she bounced over to him and pinched his cheeks. 

"Good boy, GQ! I knew you'd come round!" 

Derek shook his head as she laughed like a maniac. What the hell was the omega on? And where the fuck could he get some? 

 

***************************

 

Franklin Jennar took another long drag of his unfiltered cigarette and savoured the rich flavour of the tobacco. As was his way, he held the smoke in his mouth for a full five seconds before blowing it out in perfect, circular rings. He smiled at the nicely dressed lady, and rubbed a nicotine stained thumb across his nose.

"Swapping samples is a risky business lady...I'm thinking $15,000 cash should cover my risk factor," he said smiling, fully expecting the alpha to try and haggle the price. Fucking alphas, always thinking they were better than everyone else. But whenever they needed a little meddling in the lab, they always came crawling to him, and he lived to watch an alpha crush their own pride as they grovelled before a beta. Was anything sweeter? Perhaps not even the tightest trou. 

He frowned as the alpha removed a big diamond ring and handed it to him. 

"Nah, nah, nah lady. I said cash. Like paper money. I ain't taking this -" 

"It's worth $30,000. I'm not gonna report it, so sell it and you should make double the fee you just asked of me. Happy?" 

Franklin examined the diamond and turned it this way and that, hoping he looked like he knew what the fuck he was doing. One thing was for sure though, the rock was real. Thank Christ I didn't call in sick today, he thought gleefully, remembering this morning's awful, head splitting hangover. 

"Eh, I doubt it'll get thirty grand but it'll do. I'm a philanthropist like that. So.." he said, gathering his long, dishwater brown hair in a ponytail "...whose sample d'you need me to swap?" 

The alpha hesitated for a moment before finally spitting out the name; "Christopher Argent". 

 

TBC........

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG the length of this fic, guys...I- I have no words...ironically


	44. Chapter 44

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The police connect a few more dots and Stiles visits Derek...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, please enjoy the new chapter. Apologies for the delayed update. Thank you as always for your kudos and comments. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"So?" 

Micheal watched the ME take off his gloves and take a deep, calming breath before looking up at him. 

"Don't you have somewhere else you could be?" asked Louis through gritted teeth. 

Micheal followed Louis out of the examination room, or as he preferred to call it; 'Jigsaw's playroom', and wiped the vaporub from beneath his nose. Ugh, 18 years and the smell of dead bodies and formaldehyde still made him sick to the stomach. 

"Come on, Louis, I'm dying here. Suicide; yay or nay?" 

"Oh for god - yes, ok! Everything indicates it was a suicide. Now get out of my office, Travis. The official report should be with you in a couple of days." 

Louis sat down on his chair with a huff and pointedly ignored him as he began transcribing his notes. Not one to outstay his welcome, Micheal pulled out a chair...and sat down. Yeah, assholish behaviour it may be, but a 'couple of days'? Seriously? Around here that meant anything from two days to two weeks and that wasn't good enough, not with McCarthy riding his ass. The ME stopped typing, removed his tortoiseshell glasses and ran a hand across his curly, dark hair. 

"No way, Travis. I said two days, and I mean it." 

Micheal slid down in the chair and pulled out a cigarette, all the while ignoring the increasingly frustrated ME. Louis shook his head and gestured to a tall pile of files sitting on his desk. 

"You see this? This is shit that should've been done a week ago, I can't just bump your crap up to the top of the list." 

He placed the cigarette between his lips and patted the pockets of his jacket and pants, searching for his trusty lighter. He saw Louis glance at the cigarette and lick his lips, before sighing in defeat. 

"God, you're such as asshole. Fuck! Fine! I'll sort it. Now, please, get out and take that thing with you," said Louis, pointing to the cigarette. Micheal smiled widely and removed the offending item from between his lips, as Louis peeled open a nicotine patch and slapped it on his arm. 

"Your wife would be proud, Louis. I'll pick up the report tomorrow morning. See ya at Joe's on Friday," he said, referring to the weekly drink a number of the cops attended at a local watering hole called Joe's Bar and Grill. He laughed when the ME flipped him off, and clapped the man on his meaty shoulder before thanking him for the rush job. 

"You're buying all my drinks on Friday, asshole. Now get out, some of us have actual work to do," said Louis, resuming his typing. Micheal thanked the man again and made his way back to the station next door. 

An hour later and having just swallowed the first bite of his deliciously unhealthy steak sandwich, he saw Murphy striding into the office looking just as exhausted as he felt, but infinitely more smug. He narrowed his eyes and took another huge bite of his sandwich. 

"Waooufah?" he mumbled around the mouthful of juicy steak, soft bread, and sweet onions. Sweet Jesus, he was hungry. Murphy grimaced in disgust as a small piece of half masticated steak flew out of his mouth and landed on the desk. He quickly swallowed his mouthful of food and wiped his mouth. 

"Gimme a break, I haven't eaten in 9 hours," he said, watching an unimpressed look settle on Murphy's annoyingly attractive face as he cleaned up the gooey lump of steak congealing on his desk. "As I was saying; what d'you find at the prison?" 

Murphy perched on the edge of his desk and threw a file at him. Micheal glanced at the alpha and flipped open the file to find that it contained a series of printed images; obviously CCTV stills. The first image showed the front entrance of the prison, and he stilled when he recognised the chubby man in an expensive suit being searched by a prison guard. 

"Isn't that -"

"Yep," Murphy interrupted, lips popping around the 'p', "it's Landford. He visited the prison yesterday around 4:30 in the afternoon and stayed for approximately 25 minutes according to their logs. The prison is gonna send over a copy of the footage this afternnon," he finished triumphantly. Micheal stared at the grainy image and tapped his fingers on the desk top. 

"Why would he visit Argent yesterday afternoon when he'd already been wired the money the night before, and had Holden ready and rearing to go? I mean - what's the point? Wouldn't a phone call have sufficed? Hell, with the massive increase in the prison population over the last decade, those calls are barely monitored anymore." 

Murphy's triumphant, smug look disappeared and was replaced by an expression of deep annoyance. 

"Who the hell knows? Maybe he wanted to reassure Argent that everything was going to plan, maybe they discussed a next step after the bombing, or maybe no one gives a shit, Travis. We have the wire of funds, we have an underling of Argent's arranging the bombing, we have proof that that same underling visited Argent in jail a short time preceeding the bombing, and we have Holden's statement about singling out Hale. What more d'you need, a confession signed in blood?" asked Murphy incredulously. 

He sat back in his chair and stared at the wunderkind as he struggled to articulate his doubts; knowing that saying his 'gut' was telling him something was off would only annoy the alpha even more. Summoning every last ounce of his patience and resisting the urge to knock out a few of Murphy's piano key teeth, he threw the file on the desk and crossed his arms. 

"Look, I concede that there's a shit ton of evidence stacking up against Argent, but I just think we need to ensure this thing is triple - no - quadruple checked, before we go to the DA. With all the flack the department's been receiving lately, if we fuck up and incorrectly accuse a well connected alpha of intentionally drugging and potentially harming other alphas; that's it, Murphy, game over, we'll be tossed out on our asses," he said in a low, tightly controlled voice. "So, with that in mind, why don't we wait for the banks to get back to us? If they confirm that Argent, despite being in police custody, somehow transferred those funds to Landford, then we can go to the Chief and the DA with our findings. Can you live with that?"  
Murphy glanced at the file on the desk and sighed. "Fine. But you realise McCarthy wants a report on his desk this evening, right? We can't withhold that information, he'll skin us alive."

"McCarthy is just as concerned with ensuring that this is a 'fuck-up free zone' as we are, Murphy, so forget about the reports for now, and focus on getting the banks to give us the information we need. I'll call Heritage. You wanna take Pearson-Lectre?" he asked absently, rummaging around on his desk for the bank's details. 

Murphy scrubbed a hand across his face and nodded before walking over to his own desk. Eyeing his rapidly cooling sandwich, Micheal picked up the phone and quickly tapped in the number for The Heritage Bank. As he waited to be connected, he looked up and saw Murphy hunched over his desk, speaking quietly to someone on his personal cell. The cold, hard, expression on the blonde's face was not one he'd seen before and it made him pause. 

"Hello, this is Natasha at The Heritage Bank, how may I be of assistance?" asked an efficient, feminine voice. 

Micheal identified himself and watched Murphy a moment longer before swivelling around to face his his computer. He tapped a few keys to bring up the name of the contact at the bank, and asked to be connected to a Lauren Baxterley. The woman asked him to hold, and as he listened to the soft chords of classical music, he glanced back to see the wunderkind leaning back in his chair, rubbing his eyes furiously.  
Shit. He really hoped the kid didn't crack under pressure, because honestly, he had neither the time nor the inclination to deal with yet another hysterical alpha. 

 

**************************

 

Stiles frowned at the array of tacky cards and gifts on display in the gift shop and scratched the back of his head. Teddy bears? Flowers? Fucking animal balloons? What the hell?!? He couldn't buy Derek any of this crap! He scanned the card rack looking for something that conveyed a 'thank you for being able to resist the effect of a toxic drug and not raping me - oh, and P.S thanks for helping me take down the two other alpha's intent on violating me' type of sentiment, but surprisingly found nothing that quite captured that message. With a resigned sigh, he picked up a card depicting a cartoon puppy in a sling, with the words 'I heard you were feeling ruff - get well soon' printed above it in brightly coloured letters, and headed to the register. 

A slim woman with short red hair stood in front of him in line for the register, completely engrossed in a thick book. For lack of anything better to do, he peeked over her shoulder and read the first few lines of the page she was reading. 

'Keppler was arrested on June 19th 1950 for impersonating an Alpha and undertaking employment, which at the time of course, was illegal. Despite his notable contributions during the second world war, upon his arrest he was immediately disowned by both the army and his peers in the code breaking community, though evidence now suggests that many of these same people had discovered Keppler's true orientation years before. Keppler himself later revealed that during one dark, alcohol fuelled night, he had unwittingly told General Stafford his truth; that he was an omega. Of course, this statement was -'

He jumped when the book was snapped shut and a pair of startlingly bright green eyes fixed on him.

"Enjoying my book, Casper?" asked the redhead with an amused smile. 

Stiles flushed bright red and mumbled a half hearted apology before taking a step back. He looked down at the crappy card in his hands and studied the stupid puppy cartoon like he was reading Shakespeare. 

"That is one lame ass card, Casper." 

He ignored the comment and glanced up to see the guy at the register arguing with a short, balding, puce coloured alpha. Oh for fuck - maybe getting a card as a kind of peace offering hadn't been the best idea; he could just say ' hey Derek, so, you're not as big of a dick as I thought you were. We cool?' Yeah, he could do - oh, who the fuck was he kidding? Him, Derek, and conversation? Yeah, no... cartoon puppy was definitely the best way to go.

"Casper? Hello? I said, that's one-"

"Lame ass card, yeah, I heard you. And my name isn't Casper," he snapped at the girl. The redhead tilted her head and watched him intently for a moment before laughing. 

"Pale skin, big, soulful eyes and a cute little button nose? You sure look like Casper...although... I'm not so sure about the friendly part. Here," she said, proffering the book she'd been reading. He glanced down at the book titled 'The Fathers of Technology - the genesis of the digital age', and frowned. 

"Here, what?" he asked suspiciously. The girl rolled her eyes, plucked the card from his hands and handed him the book. 

"Hey! What -"

"Ssshhh," she interrupted, waving a hand to silence him, "trust me on this, Casper, this book is a much better get well gift than that stupid dog card. If your guy or girl isn't a techie, it'll atleast put them to sleep if nothing else. You're welcome," she said, beaming and ruffling his hair before bouncing out of the store. He watched her leave in disbelief and confusion. Who the hell was that? And more importantly, what drugs was she taking? 

"Excuse me?" He looked up to see the young guy at the register waving him over with an impatient look on his face. Stiles picked up the card the redhead had thrown onto a nearby display of chocolates, and walked over to the counter. 

"Just the card?" asked the guy at the register, pointedly looking down at the book in his left hand. 

"Uhm..." he looked down at the cartoon puppy's stupid expression and said "actually, I think I'll just take the book. Thanks." 

Five minutes later, with the freshly purchased book stowed away in a blue plastic bag, he took a deep breath and knocked on the closed hospital door. He heard shuffling inside the room before a voice yelled "come in!". Fighting the urge to turn around and walk away, he opened the door and froze when he saw an expanse of olive toned, naked skin. Derek did a double take when he saw him and scrambled to pull on his shirt, as Stiles spun around and spewed a torrent of apologies over his shoulder.

"STILES!" Derek yelled, his voice loud enough to cut through the noise of his apologies. He shut his mouth and hesitantly turned back to the alpha, who thank fuck, was now fully covered. 

Alpha and omega stared at one another awkwardly for a moment, and surprisingly, it was Derek that broke the silence. 

"How, uh - how are you feeling?" 

"Me?" he asked in disbelief "I'm not the one in hospital, dude. Look, I...uh, I- here," he said, stepping forward and holding out the bag. Derek glanced down at the blue plastic and arched a thick brow. 

"Er...what -"

"It's for you. Just...please, take it," he asked, shaking the bag. Derek hesitantly moved toward him and reached for the plastic bag. As he felt the brush of the alpha's warm skin against his own, he released his hold on the bag and took a few steps back. Derek watched his movements quietly and took a few steps back in response, holding the bag tightly in his hands. He felt his skin tingle where the alpha had touched him, and quickly jammed his hands into his pockets, choosing to ignore Derek's watchful gaze. He heard the crinkle of the bag being opened followed by a quiet, but sharp, intake of breath. 

"It's not much, I know...but I thought you might be bored. I, uh... -" he paused and tried to organise his scrambled thoughts, but all that came to him was; "thank you. For last night." 

He looked up at Derek and frowned when he saw the look of shock on his face. The alpha tossed the book on the bed, and turned his back to the omega whilst running a hand through his dark hair. Stiles clenched his jaw and reigned in his anger at being dismissed in such a typically asshole-alpha fashion. Shaking his head, he turned around and walked towards the door. Fucking alphas!?! Why even try?!?

It was the low, confused whisperings of the alpha behind him that made him pause at the door. 

"How can you thank me? I- I don't get it...I pinned you down...I touched you - you have no idea what I wanted to do - I was so close to loosing control, Stiles..." 

Stiles stared longingly at the shiny elevators, and sighed before turning around and stepping back into the room. Derek stood by the bed, staring down at the book with a truly bewildered expression on his scruffy face, and fuck if he didn't look exactly like that wounded cartoon puppy. Walking past the bed, he perched on the arm of the tiny couch and waited for the alpha to look at him. He didn't have to wait long, and when stormy, green eyes finally met his own drab brown, he felt the skin at the back of his hand tingle once more. 

In a firm, sure voice he said "you stopped, Derek. Everything else is irrelevant. You stopped. And I am thankful for that restraint." 

Derek stared at him with an unreadable expression on his face and the omega realised it was time to go. He pushed off the couch and was on his way out the door when he heard the alpha say; "thank you for the book, Stiles." 

Stiles glanced back at the messy haired, bearded, jarringly soft looking alpha, and nodded before exiting the room. He spent the next few hours feeling phantom brushes of warm skin against his own and staring at his hand in confusion. 

 

TBC.......


	45. Chapter 45

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Victoria learns an unpleasant truth.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, enjoy the chapter. I'm severely sleep deprived as I post this, so apologies for any glaring errors. 
> 
> FYI - this chapter contains descriptions of a sexual assault - be warned. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"Richard? What are you doing here?" 

The alpha snapped his head around at her voice and stared at her wide eyed for a moment, before smiling widely and stepping forward. 

"Victoria, how good to see you! I - I'm here visiting a friend for dinner. You?" 

Victoria furrowed her brow as she noticed Richard's ghostly pallor and forced smile. Frankly, the man looked spooked and she had no idea what to make of that. 

"My daughter lives here. I'm just here to pick up a few of her things," she said, watching Richard's eyes dart around the lobby.

"Your daughter lives here? What a small world. It's a wonderful building, isn't it? Well," he said, glancing down at his gold Rolex, "I think it's time for me to leave. It was good seeing you, Victoria." 

Her confusion at his behaviour only deepened when she checked the time on her own watch. "Richard, it's only 7 pm. And weren't you on your way up?" she asked, given that he'd been waiting by the elevators when she spotted him. Richard mumbled something about an early dinner and quickly brushed past her, seemingly running out of the building. What the hell was that all about, she thought as she waited for the elevator car.

Thoughts of Richard Carson and his ghostly pallor quickly disappeared, however, as she stepped into the elevator car, and slumped against the back wall. It had been an interminably long day and her exhaustion was bone deep. Fighting her body's pleas for rest, she shook her head and pushed off the back wall. 

The elevator doors slid open a few moments later and she stepped out into the hallway, turning left towards Kate's apartment. Kneading the tense muscles at the back of her neck, she let herself into the apartment and tried not to trip over the various pairs of shoes and bags that littered the hallway. 

Stepping over a burgundy coloured tote bag that probably equalled the value of a new car, she walked into the bedroom and switched on the lights. Pulling a small, black duffel bag out of the closet, she turned to walk towards the bathroom, but paused when she heard a beeping sound from across the room. Frowning, she walked across the room and searched through the pile of jackets heaped on the suede chaise longue. After a few moments, her hands finally curled around the source of the sound, and she pulled her daughter's phone out of a dark tan leather jacket. 

The phone beeped in her hands and a message on the screen notified her that the battery power was at 23%. She swiped to dismiss the message but frowned when she saw the notification bar at the top of the screen light up with an envelope icon followed by the words ' 2 new messages : Richard'. Richard? The only Richard her daughter knew was Richard Carson, and there was no reason at all for that smug prick to be calling Kate.

Confused, she tapped on the messages icon and stilled when she saw the content of the messages. With trembling fingers, she scrolled to the top of the thread, and felt bile hit the back of her throat when she saw the first text that had been sent to Kate a few weeks ago; a picture of an erect penis captioned with the words 'tell daddy how badly you want to slobber all over it, baby girl'. When she finally noticed the gold Rolex on the wrist of the hand holding the penis, she dropped the phone, rushed to the bathroom, and vomited into the toilet.

With her stomach finally empty, she pushed off the tiled floor and stumbled out of the dark bathroom and back into the bedroom. Wiping a hand across her foul smelling mouth, she picked the phone up off the floor, and unlocked it. Tears pricked her eyes as she read each and every disgusting, degrading, and humiliating message her daughter had been sent over the past few weeks. When she saw a picture of Kate on all fours with nothing but a...oh god...a thick, black leash around her neck, being...violated...by a fully dressed Carson, she closed her eyes and felt something deep inside her break. The sick bastard had obviously captured their reflection in a mirror, and he'd added the caption 'what a fucking show, baby girl, I could watch you beg all night!' to the image. 

The last message Carson had sent, was dated 02/03/2011; the night of Gérard's arrest, and read 'Don't call or message me ever again, you crazy bitch. Stop, or I'll I make you stop'.

Victoria set the phone down on the nightstand and sat down on the bed quietly. As she stared silently out at the darkening sky, the memory of a tiny, bawling, red faced baby being placed gently into her arms, flashed before her eyes, and a rage; barbaric and all encompassing, flooded through her veins. Roughly wiping the tears from her cheeks, she picked up her daughter's phone from the night stand and strode out of the apartment. 

 

**************************

 

"How is the market responding to his confession?" 

Ennis unbuttoned his suit jacket and sat down before answering. "Much as we expected, sir. The stock dropped a few points after the DA's announcement, but not significantly. Few shareholders care about Argent's handling of an unimportant omega." 

Deucalion smiled and mused "our kind are almost depressingly predictable in their inhumanity and arrogance, are they not? Though I shouldn't complain; after all, my business is founded on those depressingly predictable qualities." 

Ennis nodded, but like the good soldier he was, said little else. Deucalion pushed back his chair and rested his feet on top of his $155,000, 19th century oak desk. 

"What about the house? Has Ms. Avery received any unexpected visitors yet?" 

"No, sir, " answered Ennis "Argent's lawyer has been sniffing around, but we've blocked all his enquiries thus far. He knows nothing." 

"Good. And our boy?" 

A cruel smirk painted itself across the soldier's face. "He's doing well. It's all going according to plan, sir." 

 

****************************

 

Richard handed her a glass of wine and quietly sat down on the sofa beside her. The crackling fire dancing in the hearth bathed the room in a warm, orange glow, and thankfully, dulled the brash gaudiness of the decor. She sipped the red wine and sighed as hints of berry and oak washed over her tongue. 

"This is very good," she said to the alpha sat beside her. 

"Thanks," she heard him say absently as she took another sip. 

"Where is your wife this evening, Richard?" 

"What?"

"Your wife? Is she home? Are we alone?" she asked, setting the empty wine glass down on the gold painted coffee table, before standing up and reaching for her purse. 

"What? Yes, we're alone; Ivanna's away - look, Victoria; you said you had something urgent you needed to discuss about the CCA's funding of the bill, so tell me. I have somewhere I need to be in an hour, and I don't have the ti- aaaahhhggh". Richard fell forward on the sofa and pressed his hands to the bleeding wound on his head. 

Victoria wiped the butt of her gun on the alpha's pristine white sofa, and watched him whimper as blood dripped down into his eyes. Leaning down next to the bastards bleeding head, she pushed the muzzle of the gun into the back of his neck and released the safety. His sobbing plea for mercy did nothing to soften her, if anything, it only made her want to kill him more. 

"Is this how you like your women to beg, Richard? Does it turn you on?" she spat, as the image of him violating her daughter flashed before her eyes. "Is this what you made her do? Huh? Start her on the drugs, then just sit back and watch her break? Watch her beg? ANSWER ME!" she screamed, yanking him into a sitting position and knocking him around the head. 

Richard coughed out a mouthful of blood and raised his hands infront of his face in a defensive position. "I - I d-don't know w-what-" 

She cocked the gun and narrowed her eyes. "Don't. You know exactly what I'm talking about," she challenged, terrifyingly calm. "My daughter. You touched my daughter. Pumped her full of drugs and..." she trailed off, unable to finish the sentence. "I'm going to kill you, Richard." 

"NO! OH MY GOD, NO, PLEASE!! SHE CAME WILLINGLY, I-" she shut him up by jamming the muzzle of the gun roughly against his temple. 

"Shut your mouth," she commanded, pressing her finger against the trigger. Time seemed to slow as she focused in on the hard, black metal of the gun resting against pink, sweat slicked skin, and smiled. 

"NO! P-P-PLEASE! GÉRARD'S THE ONE WHO OFFERED HER! PLEASE, VICTORIA...OH MY GOD, I'M SORRY, I'M-" Victoria lowered the gun and stumbled back. 

"What?" she whispered as the blubbering alpha cried in relief. 

"Gérard offered her...something to sweeten the deal...he said she'd do anything-" Victoria stepped forward, raised the gun and shot him in the face. Richard's face, or what little was left of it, was frozen in a terrified rictus, and she watched as his body succumbed to gravity and slumped over on the couch. 

Lowering the gun, she collapsed onto the coffee table, and turned Richard's words over in her head. Gérard did this? The man her daughter idolised and worshipped, had traded her body and her dignity, for what? A piece of fucking legislation? After...everything? A monstrous rage, born of grief and betrayal, reared up inside her and she shuddered at the need for retribution. 

Victoria set the gun on the table, stood up, and walked over to the large gilded mirror above the fireplace. How strange, she thought as she scrutinised her reflection in the mirror, that while the soul morphed into a gnarled, twisted, ugly wreck, the body could remain unscarred and unblemished. 

 

***************************

20 years ago: Winter of 1991 - Stanford University: 

 

Tears clouded her vision as she watched Chris cage the omega against a wall and whisper sweetly into his ear. The omega blushed bright red at the whispered seductions, before he pushed Chris away and rolled his eyes. Chris's joyful laughter cut through the cacophonous sounds of the party and she saw the omega shake his head fondly. Fuck you, she thought as she tossed back the last dregs of her 8th - no, 9th bottle of beer, followed it up with a jello shot, and stumbled out of the noisy, smoke filled room.

As she walked across campus on unsteady legs, she saw the twinkling lights of a Christmas tree outside the Anthropology building and scoffed. Who the hell kept a tree all dolled up until late January? Losers. Deciding to right the egregious error, she stumbled over to the tree and knocked it down, all the while hiccuping and giggling like a 4 year old. A couple holding hands walked past her and cast worried glances her way. Well. Fuck. You. 

Picking up a bauble from the ground, she threw it at the cute guy with the scarf wrapped around his neck, and laughed when it bounced off his ass. As his girlfriend dragged him away, she heard the beta mutter something about a 'drunk bitch', and giggled. Her giggles turned to a shriek when a gust of wind rushed past her and knocked her to the ground, causing her to scrape her knees. 

Pulling her jacket tightly around her, she crawled across the floor to grab her tiny little purse, and laughed in relief when she saw a few coins at the bottom of the bag. Somehow, she managed to get off the ground and hobble over to a nearby payphone that reeked of stale urine. After a few false starts, she managed to call the Four Seasons and get connected to room 3124. 

"Hello?" 

"Heeey Mr. Argent...it's Vic - uh, excuse me - toria Herveaux. I'm don't - I mean, I don't feel so good," she mumbled into the mouthpiece, as she leaned back against the scratched, dirty glass. 

"Victoria? What's happened? Is Chris ok?" she heard him ask. 

She laughed loudly and scratched a nail over a sticker advertising 'the tightest omega's you'll ever meet! Satisfaction guaranteed!'.

"Chris? He's fiiiine...he's snuggling up to his little bitch right now - oh god...I think I'm gonna puke." 

"Victoria? Listen to me, where are you? I'll come get you." 

The display on the payphone flashed and she heard a voice telling her she had 60 seconds of time left. 

"Victoria?! Answer me right now," commanded the deep voice on the phone. She shivered at the authority in his voice and gave him her location.

It seemed like barely a minute had passed between the time that she ended the phone call and now. She glanced at Mr. Argent, who was holding her by the waist and helping her into his hotel room, which -what? How did that happen? How weird, she thought, as she felt strong hands ease her onto a warm, comfortable bed. A hand holding a glass of water appeared in front of her, but she turned her face away and rolled around onto the bed. She heard him laugh behind her, before she felt his hands circle her ankles and pull off her 4 inch studded stilleto heels. His hands caressed the back of her leg gently, and she rolled away. 

"So, Victoria, you want to tell me what happened tonight?" he asked, sitting down on the bed and removing his jacket. She hugged her knees to her chest, and shrugged. 

"I saw Chris at the party today...he was with Peter. They were laughing and kissing and flirting, and I'm...I'm alone. Again. Chris was the only one...he was the only one... a-and n-now...," she felt her chest tighten and her body tremble, "n-now I'm alone. No f-family, no f-friends, no C-Chris...just m-me." 

She flinched when she felt a warm, strong hand cup her cheek and wipe away her tears. Through drunk, tear filled eyes, she watched Mr. Argent scoot across the bed  
and embrace her tightly, while smoothing a hand down her back. 

"I don't know what's wrong with my son; he has a smart, strong -" she felt his hand circle her neck and tilt her head up, before his thumb trailed across her lips, "beautiful alpha, and he's chasing a whore. You're so beautiful, Victoria. Look at you..." he whispered as she felt his fingers slide down her throat and caress the skin below her collarbones. 

Her head throbbed and she pulled away as his fingers dipped lower. Rubbing her eyes, she tried to move back across the bed, but froze as she felt a powerful hand circle her arm and pull her back.

"Victoria? What's wrong? Come on, lie down, you'll feel better, I promise, " he said, smiling and pushing the jacket off her shoulders. 

Her head spun as she fell back onto the bed and listened to his appreciative comments about her body. Words like 'beautiful', and 'sweet', and 'delicious', spoken in a deep, lust filled voice, rang in her ears and strong, unfamiliar hands move slowly across her body. She stared out of the window at the dark, empty sky and thought of Chris. A second, a minute, perhaps an hour later, she truly had no idea; a burst of light flashed before her eyes and she arched off the bed just as her eyes fluttered close. As a breathless voice exhaled words like 'gorgeous', 'exquisite', and 'satisfying', onto her heated skin, she opened her eyes and stared out of the window to see the sky looking darker and emptier than it had a moment ago.

 

 

TBC.......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Question: do you think I should divide the story into two 'books' or just continue as is? The word count is ridiculous and I'm in two minds :/ so, tell me what you think. Also, I haven't used a payphone in...damn...maybe over a decade; is this how they work now? With the voice thing? Eh, I'm curious.


	46. Chapter 46

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Deucalion meets someone unexpected...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, where to start? Firstly apologies for being away for so long but RL stresses plus an unfortunate house fire took priority over writing to be perfectly honest. Secondly, to those amazing people who have continued to support this fic, by commenting and leaving kudos, truly, thank you so much. Seeing people continue to be interested in this work despite my lengthy absence, is flattering and encouraging, so thank you. And thirdly, thank you to those commenters who asked after my wellbeing - you know who you are -thank you for your sweet comments. 
> 
> So, with that said, for those of you still out there, happy reading folks! I plan to finish this fic and will try to update as often as I can around my current schedule. 
> 
> This work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-) 
> 
> P.S. - Some Ukrainian is spoken in this chapter. I do not speak the lingo and used Google translate, so hopefully it's correct. If you speak the language and find it to be incorrect, let me know, and I will gratefully correct it!
> 
> The first bit of ukrainian spoken translates to (fingers crossed) 'he will lose'. The second to 'sir? Phone call for you'.

Deucalion tuned out the dull ramblings of the alpha sat across from him and casually caught the eye of the gorgeous red head currently serving wine to the table behind them. The red head blushed and quickly averted her gaze but far too late. The flash of heat he'd seen light up her eyes at his attention had not gone unnoticed, nor had the crimson blush staining her cheeks. He smirked as he took another sip of the lacklustre wine, already looking forward to seeing that red hair fanned artfully across his sheets. 

"Don't you think, Duke?" 

Deucalion returned his focus to the tanned man sat across from him and smiled, even as the temptation to slam his butter knife into the man's meaty chest made his fingers itch. 

"Deucalion," he corrected for the fourth time that evening. 

Edward Northrup looked nonplussed for a second before guffawing like a buffoon. 

"Deucalion, Duke, it's all the same, right? Come on now, we're all friends here." 

Deucalion curled his fingers around the butter knife and ran him thumb up the dull blade. Americans. God, how he hated this country and its vacuous, moronic, half witted inhabitants. 

"Of course, Edward -" 

"Now, now Duke, what did I say the last time we met?," the tanned buffoon interrupted. Plastering a smile across his face, he lowered his head slightly in apology and continued. 

"My apologies, Ed," he corrected, "as I was saying, I have everything in place. The vote will be-"

"Well, well, well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes, darling," interrupted a familiar voice. 

Edward Northrup's mouth fell open as the omega sat down beside him, and the urge to plunge the knife into the man's fleshy body returned to him. Deucalion felt her familiar hand lightly touch his shoulder and finally turned his head to acknowledge her. 

"Jennifer, what an unexpected pleasure." 

The omega smiled at him and he took a moment to study her. Her dark hair was loose and tousled but had been swept over her shoulders, her eyes were kohl rimmed and dark, and her mouth had been painted an inviting shade of red. He glanced down at the expensive red fabric draped over her body, leaving one gleaming shoulder tantalisingly bare, before leaning forward to gently kiss her cheek. He felt her smile against his cheek but was unsurprised to feel a sharp blade pressed against his flank, hidden from view. 

"Missed me that much, darling?" He whispered and almost laughed when she pushed the tip of the knife more firmly against his rib cage. 

Jennifer pulled away and smiled sweetly, before turning to Edward Northrup and introducing herself. 

"Excuse Duke, won't you Ed, he tends to lose his head when I'm around," she said laughing and trailing her fingers across the man's hand. 

"I can see why," muttered the man, eyes roaming the length of the omega's body. Jennifer laughed and trailed slim fingers delicately, dare he say seductively, down her pale throat. 

Edward flushed and licked his lips before bolting from his seat and almost running towards the bathrooms, hands already at his belt. Deucalion felt the sharp edge of the blade push once more firmly against his skin threateningly before she was moving from his side and taking Edward's vacated seat. 

Jennifer sat back in the seat and tapped her garnet painted nails on the table top, watching him intently. Deucalion pointedly took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar scent he'd always likened to rich, dark chocolate, and arched a brow. 

"In public so close to your heat? Am I to assume your gaurd bitch is lurking around in the restaurant somewhere?" he asked, already knowing the answer but asking it only to piss off the alpha no doubt in hearing distance of the table. He laughed when he heard the shattering of a glass behind him and shook his head. 

"So quick to anger that one, you really should tighten the leash, darling," he mocked, taking another sip of wine and sitting back comfortably. 

Jennifer sighed and gazed around the restaurant with disinterest, before turning back to him, narrowing her eyes and asking "what are you doing in my little corner of the world, Deucalion?" 

The tone was sharp and ice cold but he ignored it, and her question, in favour of once more raking his gaze down her beautiful form. 

"You look delectable, darling, it's no wonder poor Ed could barely contain himself. Tell me," he asked, leaning forward and lowering his voice, "do you still taste as good as you smell?" 

Jennifer tilted her head and studied him quietly before leaning forward and asking in a not so quiet voice, "do you still swallow my father's cock like a good little soldier? Tell me, darling, does it feel good still being his little bitch boy?" 

Deucalion folded his napkin and sat back in his chair. 

"You should watch your mouth omega, before I decide to put it to its intended use," he said quietly, his words laced with a fury only the omega before him had ever been able to call forth. 

She laughed joyfully then and he watched in rapt fascination, mesmerised despite his fury. The daze was broken when he saw a dark manicured hand settle on the omega's bare shoulder, caressing the bare skin there with an intimate familiarity. 

Deucalion watched the omega give him one last disdain filled look before standing up and kissing the dark skinned, leather clad woman standing beside the table. 

"Ready to go, my love?" 

Jennifer nodded and allowed the lithe alpha to gently place a matching red shawl over her shoulders. 

Kalika Belasco, better known as Kali to those in their line of work, turned her dark eyes on him and smirked before pulling a few crisp hundred dollar bills out of her pocket and throwing them on the table. 

Deucalion ignored the dollar bills now strewn across the table top and stared challengingly at the alpha before him. Kali nodded down at the money littered on the table and said "for the dinner, I know how hard up you boys have been over the last few months - let's call it a parting gesture, and let me make myself clear," at this, the alpha disentangled herself from the omega and leaned over him, "this is a parting gesture, Duke, because if I don't hear of your departure very soon...well, let's just say I'll personally ensure you can't eat solid foods ever again." 

Deucalion stiffened at the threat and glanced over the alpha's shoulder to see Jennifer watching the exchange with a detached interest. Kali grabbed his jaw and yanked his gaze back to her, eyes fiery and mouth twisted in a menacing snarl. 

"She's mine, Karas, understand?," he felt her nails dig into his jaw and grimaced. "You tell Alexandr that if he fucks with me and mine, I will destroy what's left of his little empire and bury him alive." 

Kali finally removed her hand from his jaw and straightened, arms already finding their way back to the omega's waist. Deucalion reigned in the urge to smooth a hand across his aching jaw as he caught sight of Edward Northrup hastily, and somewhat pink cheeked, returning to their table. 

Jennifer followed his gaze and he saw a charming smile paint itself across her face. 

"Ed, apologies once again for interrupting your dinner, it was lovely meeting you." 

Edward flushed bright red and stammered out an invitation to dinner, which was expectedly rejected. 

"No, no, I've disturbed you enough this evening, besides, my lovely wife simply cannot spend an evening away from me. Isn't that right, Kali?," teased Jennifer in an amused tone. Kali tightened her hold on the omega and simply smiled in response. Jennifer touched Edward's arm as she bade him a good night, causing the already flushed alpha to tremble, before turning to him and leaning down to kiss his cheek. 

"Tell my father that whatever game he's playing? Vin vtratyt," she whispered against his cheek, before straightening and turning back to Kali. 

"Well, that's one fine piece of omega ass, that Belasco woman's a lucky alpha," commented Edward as Deucalion watched the alpha and omega disappear into the night, his jaw still sore and his pride severely wounded. 

*************************

"He can't know, my love"

"He knows, Kali," she stated, voice unwavering in its certainty. Jennifer ignored the warmth of the hand now circling her wrist and continued to stare out of the tinted window of the Rolls Royce to the bustling streets beyond. 

"Love, Argent assured us -"

"Do you know who Edward Northrup is?," she interrupted, gaze still firmly fixed on the crowds of people beyond the tinted pane of glass. 

"The asshole's dinner date? No. Why, wh-"

"He's a board member of G.A Pharmaceuticals. You know what that means, Kali," she said, finally turning back to the alpha sat beside her, who released the hold on her wrist and slammed her fist into the door. 

"The son of a bitch knows," spat Kali, eyes flashing dangerously and fist once again slamming against the door.  
"He knows and he's coming," she agreed, ignoring the raging alpha beside her and returning her gaze once again to the busy streets of the city. 

 

************************

 

The birds chirped noisily in the dark sky as another set of weights was added to the already heavy bar; the clanking of the metal disks sounding loud and obnoxious in the empty gym.

Alexandr Doroshenko wiped the sweat from his brow with the thick, white towel handed to him by the suited man standing behind him, before throwing it aside and dipping his hands in the bowl of liquid chalk at his feet. Cracking his neck, he clapped his hands together and moved forward towards the weighted bar. Planting his feet firmly on the ground, he heaved the bar off the ground and held the 320 kg weight for as long as could, before releasing the bar to fall back to the ground. He repeated this process thrice more before removing his weight belt and climbing onto the treadmill nearby. 

Sixty mintues later, with sweat dripping down his body and the sun finally making an appearance in an otherwise gloomy, dull sky, Alexandr stepped off the treadmill and made his way towards the showers he'd had installed at the back of the gym. Stripping off his shorts and sweat drenched tank top, he stepped beneath the cold spray and quickly showered, thoughts already on the busy day ahead. A loud knock interrupted him 10 mintues later as he tightened the knot on his silk tie and combed his thick hair into place. 

" Ser? Telefonnyy dzvinok dlya vas," said his assistant through the door, tone apologetic. Checking the time, he frowned and opened the door to find, Irina, his assistant, holding a cell phone and a small cup of espresso. Waving away the coffee, he took the phone from her hands and smiled when he recognised the international number. 

"Deucalion, how are things progressing?," he asked, walking out the back door onto the lush manicured grounds. Deucalion hesitated for a moment and Alexandr laughed. 

"That well? Need I remind you how I feel about failure?," he asked, tone light but meaning crystal clear to the man on the other end if the line. 

"Your daughter paid me a visit tonight," said Deucalion in lieu of answering his question. 

Alexandr stared up at the slowly brightening sky as memories of a giggling, dark haired child returned to him. She had been a beautiful child, his daughter, born to tantalise and tempt. 

"Does this affect our plans?," he asked as he watched a bird pluck a writhing worm from the ground and swallow it whole. 

"I do not believe so, though she is suffering from the delusion that she and her pet alpha will somehow beat us at this game." 

The sun finally broke through the clouds and Alexander smiled as he remembered the last time he had seen his daughter. So many years had passed since that time and he wondered if she ever thought of him with anything other than hatred. She was his blood, shared his temperament, so he doubted it. 

"Let her have her dreams," he told Deucalion, "shattering them will be so much more entertaining if she is allowed to live them a little while." 

 

************************

"Fuck, fuckity, fuck, fuck, fuck!" 

"Not a good time?" 

Micheal looked up to see Charlie Tuft watching him with an amused, if somewhat concerned, expression. 

"Fucking shitty time actually, Charlie, but that's," he waved his hand in the air in a 'whatever' gesture, just like all the cool kids, before gratefully accepting the steaming, beautiful cup of coffee his friend offered him. 

"So," started Charlie, butt half perched on the desk, "what's got you in such a good mood this evening?" 

Micheal practically inhaled the scorching hot coffee and sighed, the stress of the last few weeks finally taking a toll. Charlie waited for him to answer with a patient 'I'm not going anywhere till you talk dick head' expression he knew so well, and Micheal looked around to see if the Wunderkind was anywhere nearby. Confirming the coast to be clear, he jerked his head and gestured for his friend to sit down on the chair beside him. 

"Something's not right, Charlie. This shit with Argent and the bombing...I don't know....it's too...easy. Holden, Landford, the prints, the wire transfer - shit, when have we ever known a metric ton of evidence to just fall into our laps like that? Argent's a piece of shit, don't get me wrong, but this," he pointed to the case file scattered across his desk, "this shit feels like a set up." 

Charlie scrubbed a hand across his sandy hair and blew out a deep breath. 

"You better have some proof to back up that theory, otherwise McCarthy's gonna string you up by your nutsack and cut off your dick with a rusty butter knife." 

A flash of the Chief holding his bloody, messy, member in his large, bony hand flashed before his eyes and he grimaced. 

"Thanks for the visual, Charlie, just what I needed after almost 48 hours of no sleep," he muttered darkly as a shadow fell over his desk. 

Murphy, looking inexplicably bright and bushy tailed, stood over his desk, mouth set in a grim line. Micheal glanced at Charlie as Murphy continued to look down at them in silence. 

"What?," he asked, just before he heard McCarthy's booming voice cut loudly through the din of the office. 

"TRAVIS! MY OFFICE, NOW!" 

Micheal looked up at the blonde, piano key toothed, hulking piece of shit stood on the other side of his desk and knew what the little prick had done. It was a moment of madness, he'd say later, as he tried to explain to HR why he'd lunged over the desk and punched Murphy so hard, two of his pearly white teeth fell out of his mouth in a messy, congealed globule of spit and blood. 

 

TBC...


	47. Chapter 47

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chris and Victoria talk, and David has an unexpected guest....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, as always thank you for your comments and kudos, I hope you enjoy the chapter.
> 
> This work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Chris grimaced as he swallowed a mouthful of truly awful coffee and once again checked the time. The clock hanging on the wall in the waiting area by the vending machines told him that it had just gone midnight, and once again he wondered where the hell Victoria had got to. The plan had been for her to collect a few things from Kate's apartment before returning to the hospital and taking the night shift with their daughter while he rested. But hours later and with still no sign of his wife, he had resigned himself to a fitful night spent sleeping in the damn wheelchair by his daughter's bedside. The coffee had been a last resort after he'd spent two hours fidgeting restlessly in his chair, unable to get to sleep. 

Sighing wearily, he ignored the dull jolt of pain that ran down his thigh all the way down to the phantom leg and wheeled himself discreetly back to his daughter's room. Discreetly, because he knew the night nurse would skin him alive if she found out that he had yet to return to his room. Wheeling himself into the dark hospital room, he made to move towards the small sofa to rest his leg, when he caught sight of someone silhouetted against the window. 

"Hello?," he called as he cast a worried glance towards his sleeping daughter. 

"Do you think she knows we're here?"

"Victoria?! You scared the hell out of me! What are you doing standing around in the dark?," he chastised, hand already moving to flick the light switch. He saw her turn just as light flooded the room and froze in shock as he took in her appearance. 

The cream skirt she'd been wearing earlier was crumpled and dirty, and her white blouse was now filthy with dark smudges which stained almost her entire front. The alpha's usually immaculate hair was messy and wild, and he noticed the dozens of broken strands of short red hairs that were littered all over her shoulders. Chris felt the air leave his lungs as he zeroed in on the dark red streaks that stained her outfit from skirt to collar, his eyes following the rusy coloured trail right up to the alpha's collarbone. 

"Victoria...what? Why are you covered in blood?" He could hear her stilted breathing over the thundering of his heart beat but it wasn't until she spoke that he finally looked into her eyes. Pale blue eyes that he'd looked into everyday for over 20 years stared at him with a desolation that shook him to the core. 

"You remember that summer up at Lake Tahoe, Chris?" 

Chris furrowed his brow in confusion as he warily watched the alpha crumple into the hard, plastic seat by Kate's bed and smooth a blood stained hand down her skirt. Victoria ran her thumb across the spatters of blood dotting her skirt and continued to talk, frighteningly calm, and despite his lack of a response.

Chris sat frozen in his wheelchair across the room, heart pounding and breathing strained, listening to her low voice cut through the soft humming of the hospital machines. 

"Of course you remember, it was the last happy summer we had, you, me, and our daughter. One last idyllic summer before you found out what I'd done...what we'd done. You remember? It was the summer Kate turned 8 and she got the chickenpox, good god she looked like a rice krispy treat," Victoria laughed softly at the memory before continuing. "The camp wouldn't let her attend because of the chickenpox and she was so upset, sobbing and red faced for hours until you came back from work early with an armful of candy and toys. God, it took us forever to set up that damn tent in the yard behind the cabin but it was worth it wasn't it? She was so happy I thought she'd never get to sleep that night...but she did, didn't she? Snuggled between us in that flimsy tent with the sheets pulled up over our heads...she said it was better than camp - did you know that? I thought I'd get tired after that first night, but no...you and me and Kate...it was perfect. She was so happy that summer. I didn't think it was possible for her to smile so widely...you know I caught her the summer after that - the one you spent in London working, trying to get away from me - I caught her naked in the bathroom drawing dots all over her body with a red marker. I screamed at her, Chris. I was so angry...so stupid...it wasn't until she begged me to call you to tell you she had chickenpox again that I finally got it...finally understood...she refused to let me wash the marks off for days after that...but then one morning she got up and her skin was clear again. I didn't ask and she didn't tell. I didn't ask and s-she," her voice broke as she laughed humourlessly. 

"I'm a bad mother, Chris, I've always known that...but I loved her -so much- and I thought, even though I couldn't - even though I might not have that in me, to be a 'good mother', atleast I'd give her a good life...but I never asked...never looked closely enough...it's not fair for a child to be ground to dust beneath the weight of their parent's mistakes, Chris. I should have asked. When she grew quiet, when her eyes aged faster than her body...I should have asked." 

What the hell was going on? Chris sat numb and speechless as his usually reserved, stoic wife sat beside their daughter's bed with a dirty, tear stained face, speaking of private thoughts she'd never before allowed him to be privy to. 

"Vic-"

"Promise me you'll never leave her alone, Chris, I - I need your word."

Chris felt a wave of panic crash over him as he tried and failed to understand the meaning behind those desperately spoken words. 

"We'll both be-"

"Your word, Chris," she interrupted, finally turning to look at him, her blue eyes steely and determined. 

Giving his word to care for his daughter was not the problem, it was the sense of finality in her words that caused him to hesitate and slowly inch his wheelchair forward. Just get to her. Get to her and don't let her go until she tells you what's wrong, he thought to himself as he pushed his exhausted body beyond its limit and moved forward. Something in his expression must have telegraphed his thoughts to the alpha sat across from him, because before he could reach her, she stood up, bent down and kissed Kate, and walked past him to the door. 

Spinning around quickly, he shouted her name in a panic, unable to understand what was happening but knowing somehow that if she left now, he wouldn't see her again. Victoria paused at the threshold of the room and he saw her shoulders fall in defeat. Triumphant, he wheeled over to the alpha and once more called her name. 

Victoria turned slowly, glanced once more at Kate and fell to her knees before him. 

"I'm sorry Christopher, for everything I've done to you, for everything I've taken from you, I'm sorry," she said quietly, his hands tightly clasped in her own ice cold hands. "Love has never come to me easily, but you...I truly did love you." 

She cupped his cheek and he searched desperately for answers in her red rimmed eyes. 

"I did this Chris, I unleashed the monster on us all. I'm going to fix it, Chris, just - please...for all that I've done and for everything I'm about to do - forgive me. Don't hate me, Chris." 

Victoria pushed up off the ground and placed a soft kiss against his lips, before turning around and striding down the hallway. Chris wheeled himself to the doorway and shouted her name down the dimly lit hallway, only stopping when he heard a pained moan behind him. 

"Mom?.."

************************

Vanessa Washington jerked awake and groaned as pain shot down her spine. Sitting up in the armchair she'd fallen asleep in a few hours ago, she cussed loudly and roughly massaged the back of her neck. 

"I did tell you -"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Did I ask for an opinion, David? No? That's what I thought. Now, please, get off your ass and make me a coffee."

"Well, since you asked so nicely," he muttered, stifling a yawn and wearily shuffling towards the kitchen. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he was surprised to see it had just gone one o'clock in the morning. Van had told him that Cam's heat would most probably end by tonight and he hoped he'd be able to get back to sleep for a few hours before his son was well enough to see him. Scrolling through his contacts, he decided to quickly check in on the girls but found his thumb hovering over Talia's name uncertainly. 

Other than a quick text to let her know how Cam was doing, he hadn't spoken to her since he'd left home to fetch Cam from school, and despite everything, he admitted to himself that he missed his wife. Not the crazy, unhinged, bigoted person he'd left standing broken in the foyer of their home a couple of days ago, but the smart, vibrant woman he'd married over 20 years ago. Leaning back against the cold, hard edge of the kitchen counter, he contemplated calling Talia for a moment before sighing and pocketing his phone. Cam was his priority...everything else would have to wait. He'd just switched on the coffee machine when he heard a loud, insistent knocking on the front door. 

Frowning, he checked the time again, and quickly made his way down the hallway. Who the hell was knocking on his door at this time of night, he wondered, peering through the peephole as Van walked up behind him, yawning and wiping the sleep from her eyes. 

"Whose'it?," she mumbled, leaning heavily against the wall. 

He saw no one through the peephole and frowned again. 

"I-"

"Mr. Hale?! Excuse me, I need to speak to Mr. Hale. Hello? I can hear you guys whispering you know!" 

The voice was high pitched and muffled, but sounded nonetheless familiar to David. Wait. That sounded like -

"Uh, Mr. Hale? Not to be rude or anything, but I kinda walked a long way in the rain...so if you could please just let me see-woah"

David pulled open the door in time to see a familiar, blonde boy fall heavily into the hallway. Evidently, the boy had been leaning against the door. 

"Jackson? What on earth are you doing here at this time of night? Are you alone? Did you leave school grounds without permission? Does anybody know where you are? What the hell-"

Van clapped a hand to his mouth and told him to shut up before helping the now terrified beta up off the floor. The skinny boy was soaking wet and shivering in a thin t shirt and jeans, and his blonde hair was plastered to his head. David noticed the boy's lower lip trembling, and only then realised that he'd been practically screaming at the kid. Dammit!

"Hi, Jackson, is it? My name's Van. Why don't we go find you a change of clothes and then we'll deal with the grumpy alpha, ok?," asked Van gently, already steering the boy towards the staircase. The boy kept his eyes glued to the floor and quietly followed Van up the stairs. Van threw him a disappointed look over her shoulder and he sighed. Just as he turned back towards the kitchen with the intention of making the boy some hot chocolate, to warm him up if nothing else, he heard a small, shaky voice say "Mr. Hale?" 

David turned back to see Jackson standing halfway up the staircase with a bright red blush colouring his cheeks. 

"I'm s-s-sorry Mr. Hale, I know this isn't n-n-normal, b-but Cam - he's my best friend. I just n-n-n-n," David saw the boy flush an even brighter red as he struggled to say the words. Not wanting Jackson to feel embarrassed, he opened his mouth to say it was ok, that he understood and that he too was sorry, but saw Van shaking her head behind the boy. Deciding to heed her advice, he remained quiet and saw Jackson take a deep breath and push back his shoulders. 

"I n-needed to s-s-see him and make sure he w-w-was ok." 

David waited to make sure the boy was done before moving forward and patting the kid on his bony shoulder. Jesus, considering how much parents paid that damn school, he would've thought they'd ensure their pupils were eating enough!

"It's ok Jackson, and I'm sorry for yelling. My son's lucky to have such a faithful friend. Now, how about you get changed and I make sure the school knows where you are, ok?" he said gently.

The boy nodded, face still bright red, and followed Van up the winding staircase. 

***********************

 

"Don't even think about it," he heard McCarthy say in a serious 'don't fuck with me' voice, nightmare inducing gaze remaining fixed on him until he sighed and grudgingly pocketed the cigarette. Restless, exhausted, and jonesing for nicotine hit, he tapped his fingers impatiently on the armrest and tapped his booted foot just as impatiently on the carpeted floor. 

DA Helen Cordell sat quietly at the small conference table in the left hand corner of the office with the case files from Peter Hale's kidnapping and the hospital bombing scattered around her. The Chief was sat beside her, sifting through the paperwork and every now and then casting irate glances his way. For lack of anything better to do, and in an effort to keep his mind off the cigarettes currently burning a hole in his pocket, Micheal pulled out a stick of berry flavoured gum and chewed on it as he watched Simon, the cleaner, walk past the office with a wad of bloody tissues. 

"Ok."

Micheal snapped his head back to the conference table to see the DA looking pleased, tired and dishevelled, but damn pleased. 

"I would say we have sufficient grounds to move forward with charging Argent for the bombing. Clayton, I'll call in a favour and get Judge Matthews to sign off on the paperwork asap, but I need you to make sure all the I's are dotted and all the T's are crossed on your side. Understood?" 

The Chief nodded as the DA shrugged into her jacket and picked up her bag. 

"Good work, Clayton," congratulated the DA with a handshake before leaving the office, cell phone already clamped to her ear. 

Micheal watched the Chief slowly turn back to him and sighed. And let the mauling begin.

 

TBC..........


	48. Chapter 48

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek's still coping with the shooting and Stiles receives a painful reminder of what he is...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys and girls, thank you do much for your ongoing support as I churn this thing out - kudos and your amazing comments are so appreciated. 
> 
> This fic is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)
> 
> P.S. Guys the word count...omg...the word count...

Charlie Tuft leaned back against his vehicle and watched the firemen zip up the body bag. A large, burly man sporting an impress pornstache and a tired expression walked over to him and told him his team had finally cleared the property. 

"So?" he asked. 

The man removed his helmet and wiped the sweat from his soot stained face before nodding. 

"I haven't done a complete walk through yet, but this was arson alright. I'll get my report to BHPD in a few days but whoever did this wanted to make damn sure the place burned, I'll say that much." 

Charlie thanked him for the update and waited until the man returned to his team before pulling out a cigarette. As he lit up he saw Louis and the rest of his team pull up in the coroner's van and make their way toward the body bag. 

His partner, Ramon Valazquez, joined him by the car and reached into the vehicle to grab his bottle of green mush. 

"How d'you drink that shit, Valazquez?"

His partner gulped down the green sludge and patted his flat belly. 

"Gotta keep all this," he gestured to his gym defined torso, "looking good, Tuft. It wouldn't be fair to the ladies to let a body this good go to waste, my friend." 

Charlie rolled his eyes and flicked the ash from the end of his cigarette onto the blackened earth. 

"So," he said, nodding toward the charred, burned remains of the mansion that stood before them. 

"Yeah, Chief's gonna love this, huh? You wanna tell him or should I?"

Charlie took a long drag of his cigarette and watched Louis load Richard Carson's burned body into the back of his van before answering. 

"I'll do it. He's gonna go fucking ape shit but I can't exactly blame the man. After the last few weeks, the last thing we need is the fucking rabid conservatives on our backs." 

Valazquez nodded and laughed darkly.

"Fuck, Tuft, next few weeks are gonna be hell." 

Charlie sighed and dropped his cigarette on the ground, crushing it beneath his boot. 

"You kidding me? We're gonna be praying for the balmy peace of hell once the wackos at the CCA are done roasting our asses." 

 

************************

 

"Derek! DEREK!" 

His eyes snapped open to see his sister's worried face inches from his own. Laura gently brushed away the hair sticking to his forehead and watched him quietly for a moment, green eyes filled with concern, before helping him sit up.

Derek pushed her away and swung his legs off the hospital bed to stand shakily on the cool tiled floor. He could feel her eyes on him but said nothing as he made his way to the attached bathroom and washed the cold sweat from his face. 

"I think you need to talk to someone."

Derek wiped his face with a towel and said nothing as he walked past Laura to sit back on the hospital bed.

"Dere-"

"I'm fine, Laura," he interrupted, pulling off his damp shirt and getting back under the covers. The only light in the room came from the dim bedside lamp but even so, he didn't miss the look of anger that passed over his sister's face. 

"On a good day, you barely sleep more than a couple of hours a night, you refuse to talk about what happened - hell, you shut down when anyone even mentions the shooting, and don't even get me started on the hand washing thing. You are NOT fine, Derek."

Derek looked down at his hands and saw the small cuts and large patches of dry, sore, flaking skin that covered them. No matter how often he washed them, the coppery smell of Alice's blood never seemed to leave him. He'd taken to locking himself in the bathroom and scrubbing his hands with water so hot he'd wince in pain.

"What d'you want me to say, Laura?" he asked, folding his hands together in his lap. He sister sat down on the bed beside him and cautiously reached for his hands, smiling with watery eyes when he let her touch him. 

"I don't need you to say anything to me, baby brother, not if you don't want to. I just - I need you to be ok. I need you to be able to sleep more than 2 hours without screaming. Derek, I need you to let us help you, because - because I love you, and I can't watch you do this to yourself anymore." 

He felt her lay her head on his shoulder and heard the choked sob that she tried, and failed, to hold back. Disentangling their hands, he wrapped his arms around his big sister and held her close. 

"Ok, Lo," he mumbled against her shoulder, "I'll try, I promise." 

***********************

The sky outside had begun to brighten and she wondered how long she'd been sat in the dark room watching the steady up and down of Peter's chest. Her brother looked different to her, small and vulnerable in a way he never had before, not even when he was a baby. Hell, even as a baby he'd wielded a power over her mother and father that she'd envied. But now, lying alone in a hospital bed bracketed by foreign looking medical equipment, with various tubes protruding from his body, he looked defenceless and so human that she wondered if her lifelong perception of his immense power was simply a fabrication of her imagination. 

"Imagine that, Peter," she said quietly to the comatose form on the bed, "a lifetime spent battling a person just as powerless as I am. Irony is a bitch isn't she?" 

Moving away from the bedside, Talia walked over to the windows and stared out at the cloudless grey sky, thinking back on all that had happened over the last few weeks. 

"Dad doesn't talk to me, can't even really look at me anymore," she told him, knowing that he wouldn't hear, couldn't judge, "my children barely speak to me, and David left me and took our son to spend his first heat with an old flame. He thinks I don't know about Vanessa, but I know. I know...hmmp...I don't know why I'm telling you of all people this, you'd probably crow with glee at my misfortune, dear brother, but there is no one else...and isn't that just...pathetic?" 

She watched a young couple below exit the hospital carrying a small child wrapped tightly in blankets, and flashed back to a memory of the first time she'd held a life that young and innocent. Turning away from the window, she walked back to Peter's bedside and watched him quietly for a moment before touching uncertain fingers to his cheek. 

"I've hated you for so long that I don't know what else to feel, brother. You took everything, Peter, and it was always so easy for you to do it. The handsome, charming omega with a heart of gold...god, I hate you...hate how easy being loved comes to you - hate that even now, as I stand alone and broken, you're still the one people flock to," she whispered, withdrawing her hand and turning to leave the room. She had no idea why she had come here. 

A clammy hand gripped her wrist as she turned to leave and she looked back in shock to see Peter's eyes snap open and his body arch violently off the bed. The machines in the room began beeping and buzzing loudly but all she could focus on were Peter's eyes; red rimmed and filled with terror, they watched her constantly even as his body began to seize ever more violently. Horrified at the picture before her, Talia found herself holding onto Peter's forearm and screaming for a nurse. 

Seconds later a group of nurses and doctors rushed into the room, yelling confusing things to one another as they broke her hold on Peter and ushered her out of the room. Before the door slammed shut in her face she saw Peter's tear stained face turn towards her and a hoarse voice cry out "Tl-ya".

 

************************

Stiles shuddered and groaned as his eyes fluttered open, the remnants of the dream that had haunted his sleep making him flush brightly. What the hell was wrong with him, he wondered, looking down at his sweat drenched body and trembling hands. He wasn't in heat, he knew that much, but the tendrils of lust that the dream had evoked still snaked through his veins and he felt his body harden as images of dark hair and stormy green eyes flashed before his eyes. 

Jumping up from the cot he'd fallen asleep in, he quickly stripped off his clothes and walked into the bathroom, where he proceeded to stand beneath an ice cold shower. Even beneath the icy spray, he felt his face heat as a small voice in the back of his head taunted him with the name of the man in his dream. Stiles pounded his fist against the white tiled wall until the jeering voice disappeared and his body no longer ached with need. Wearily, he stepped out of the shower and stood naked in the bathroom staring up at the small strip of pale purple sky that could be seen through the small window. He could still feel a restless energy buzzing beneath his skin and decided that now was as good a time as any to work out. It would exhaust him physically and mentally if he worked out hard enough, and that was what he needed right now, the white noise of exhaustion, where all that mattered was the pounding of his heart and the air in his lungs. 

Not bothering with towelling off, he pulled on a black tank top and a pair of blue shorts before quietly opening the door into the hushed hallway. The Centre was quiet this early in the morning, though he did spot a few nurses bustling around in the store room on his way to the gym. They smiled brightly at him despite the bags beneath their eyes, by now used to him falling asleep at the Centre after a night spent helping out and reading to the kids. 

He stopped by Dr. McCall's office hoping to say good morning and get an update on Peter but surprisingly found her office to be empty. Hmm, he thought, Dr. McCall's usually in by 5 am, I wonder where she is. As he pondered the doctors whereabouts, he caught sight of a familiar face by reception and froze. What the hell was Diana's mother doing back at the Centre?! Moving quietly towards the reception area he saw Mrs. Burke the Bitch and two hulk wannabes in nurses scrubs talking with one of the night nurses, who looked stressed and on the verge of tears as Burke the Bitch shoved a manila envelope in her face and screamed shrilly about 'lawsuits' and 'mother's rights'. 

Falling back against the hallway wall, Stiles scrubbed a hand through his damp hair and cussed quietly. Unable to think of anything to stop Burke the Bitch from removing Diana from the Centre other than to agitate the omega once again, he quickly made his way through the maze of corridors to Diana's room. As he turned the last corner to get to the omega's room, he spotted a tall, broad shouldered man wearing a dark navy suit blocking the hallway, and skidded to a halt. Shit! An alpha.

The man slowly turned to face him and frowned for a moment before his lips turned up in a cold smile. Dark grey hair, closely cropped, sat atop a square face with a strong jaw, a slightly crooked nose and the darkest eyes Stiles had ever seen. The man's leather shoes tapped heavily against the tiled floor as he stepped forward and looked down at him curiously, hands casually tucked into his trouser pockets. 

"You must be the omega Dorothy mentioned," said the man, his eyes roving the length of Stiles' frame with interest. "Younger than I imagined, I confess, but then when is that ever a concern with your kind? Don't you agree, omega?," he asked moving closer and smirking. 

Stiles recognised the flare of interest in the man's eyes and took a step back. 

"You can't take her," he mumbled as the man closed in, the alpha's large frame looming over him, those dark eyes settling on his bare shoulders. 

"You're going to need to speak up, omega, or would you rather I came closer?" 

The alpha unbuttoned his form fitting suit jacket and leaned down, and Stiles found himself backed up against a cold, hard wall. Heart pounding, Stiles forced himself to meet the man's dark eyes as he said "you can't take her if-"

"She poses a serious harm to herself and/or others, or if her attending doctor finds her to be medically unfit to be removed. I know, boy, I've been to law school. That was a cute trick you pulled the last time my client tried to transfer her daughter's care to another facility, unfortunately, omega," the alpha leaned in closer and in a dangerously soft voice said, "it is not one you will get away with again. Out of interest, boy, did you enjoy your shower this morning?"

Stiles frowned in confusion at the non sequitur and made to move past the man when a large hand found its way around his throat. He grunted in pain as he was thrown up against the wall, and the hold around his throat tightened. Stiles froze as the alpha put his lips to his ear and whispered, "because it sure smells like you did," before tossing him to the ground as though he was nothing but a piece of garbage to be discarded. His throat burned, and he coughed and gasped for air. 

The man wiped his hands on a white handkerchief and let it fall onto the ground by his face before speaking again. 

"I could pull down those shorts and take you right now, anyway I wanted, and there's not a court in the country that would convict me. It would serve you well to remember your place, omega, lest someone decides to remind you themselves." 

Stiles crawled back against the wall just as 3 of the Centre's nurses and Mrs. Burke and her two goons appeared. He quickly pushed off the floor and leaned against the wall, waving away the concerned look he received from one of the nurses. Diana's mother smirked as she strode past him and greeted the suited man now standing at Diana's door. 

"Thank you so much for your assistance with these people, Dominic, I'm just glad I can finally get my daughter away from this cesspit. When you're ready gentlemen," she smiled at the two goons, who each pulled on a pair of latex gloves and made their way into the omega's room. Stiles and the 3 nurses looked on helplessly as one of the goons removed a syringe from his medical case and nodded at the dark eyed man. 

It was strange how quickly it was over; a short, high pitched whine was followed by the sounds of a light scuffle and suddenly there the omega was - unconscious and strapped to a gurney, her arms and legs so tightly bound that Stiles saw the flush of blood paint the skin bright red. He stood frozen as Diana was wheeled past him. Weak and pathetic.

"My daughter will no longer be needing this, and please ensure all her records are transferred over to me immediately or you will be receiving another visit from Dominic." Stiles heard something clatter to the floor as the bitch spoke but found himself unable to lift his eyes from the floor. 

Moments later the bitch walked past him and was quickly followed by the alpha, who ran his thick fingers along Stiles' bare forearm as he passed. Stiles stiffened and waited until he could no longer hear their footfalls before glancing up at the open doorway of Diana's room. One of the nurses spotted the doll just as he did, and rushed to pick it up, dusting it off and shaking her head. 

"Oh god...Adam." 

Stiles turned and walked away without a backward glance. 

 

TBC.......


	49. Chapter 49

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gérard discovers a deceit and Deucalion's plans come to fruition...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I hope you enjoy the latest chapter in my ridiculously, I mean RIDICULOUSLY, long saga of a story where Sterek haven't even made a serious appearance yet!?!? What am I doing with my life?
> 
> Ok, I feel better. So, have fun, keep the comments etc coming because they are not only great to read but also so, so, so encouraging on days when writing is difficult and your muse, the stupid cow, disappears to grab a burger or something. 
> 
> So, enjoy and as always this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine (point them out and I will gratefully amend). Happy reading folks :-)

"Hey Argent! You got a phone call," yelled the guard, pounding on the door of his cell loudly. 

Gérard scratched his stubbled cheek and yawned as he heaved his aching body off the thin prison issue mattress and shuffled to the door. His head was pounding from the alcohol he'd consumed the night before and he could feel his stomach turn as he smelled the rancid stench of his cellmates morning number 2. O'Leary laughed at his nauseated expression from where he sat on the stainless steel toilet, and flatulated loudly, laughing even harder when he saw him clap a hand across his nose and mouth.

Gérard banged on the door for the gaurd and waited impatiently for the piece of shit to open the door as O'Leary chuckled behind him in between bouts of loud, noxious flatulence. 

"Open the fucking door!" he yelled, banging loudly on the door with his fist. The cell door swung open and the ruddy cheeked, big bellied gaurd motioned for him to step out. 

"Smell you later, Gramps!" called out O'Leary, guffawing loudly at his own joke, as he stepped out of the cell. The fat guard chuckled at his cellmates antics and Gérard watched the pigs fourth chin jiggle hypnotically. The guard withdrew his baton from his belt and pushed the rounded end into his back, pushing him towards the staircase and leading him into the small office on the first level. 

"Make it quick," the guard muttered, breathing heavily and snatching a couple of twinkies from the small, stained table in the corner, before leaving the room and loitering just beyond the doorway. Gérard picked up the phone and grunted out a pissed off sounding "you better have some good fucking news."

There was a loaded silence and Gérard gritted his teeth. 

"I have some news regarding Mr. Karas' claims about his...discovery in New York. Gérard...it's, uh...it's not what we expected." 

Margaret. He pictured his wife's face in the moments before she died, with his hands wrapped tightly around her throat, and cast a furtive glance at the armed gaurd eating twinkies at the door. Turning his back to the guard, he lowered his voice and told Jerry to cut the shit and get to the point. 

"Fine. As per your instructions, I looked into Mr. Karas' acquisition of the New York property, but was unable to find anything about a sale in the last 2 years. Despite my many attempts to verify his ownership, I was unable to find anything, and so I decided to hire an investigator in New York to check out the property and speak to the officials there etcetera. He got back to me an hour ago. Gérard... according to his report, the house hasn't been on the market in over 35 years, and the owner on record is a 90 year old woman named Rosemary Gladys Avery. He even went to the property to verify ownership and spoke to the woman's grandson who told him that the woman had lived in the property for over 30 years." 

Gérard felt the ground shaking beneath him and leaned heavily against the wall. 

"The pictures...he had pictures," he whispered, flashing back to the memory of seeing a photograph of men in hard hats drilling into the basement floor of the old brownstone. 

"Aah, yes, about that - according to the woman's grandson, the only time any construction work was done on his grandmother's property was over 20 years ago when the basement's foundation was replaced. Gérard," the lawyer paused and he heard the man sigh loudly, before continuing, "I need you to understand what I'm saying - 20 years ago, the foundation of that house was completely replaced. That is to say, the previous foundation - the one that existed when you lived there - was completely excavated. My guy checked around, nothing unusual or...unseemly, was discovered during the excavation. There aren't any police records pertaining to the property and the company that carried out the excavation went out of business 10 years ago. Do you understand what it is I'm saying?" 

Gérard processed the information and felt his body begin to heat. 

"Gérard? Did you hear me? It was all a set -"

He roared in fury, ripped the phone out of the wall and smashed it into the ground until nothing remained but small chips of plastic and a few wires. Unable to contain the rage that engulfed him, he flipped over the small, cheap table, broke off a leg and began tearing through the office, breaking and smashing his way through anything that stood in his way. As he screamed and cursed and raged, he felt multiple hands clamp onto his torso before a sharp, searing pain flooded across the back of his head. Falling to his knees, he heard a commotion behind him, and closed his eyes, his wife's laughing face appearing suddenly before him. 

 

***************************

Scott Murphy spat another mouthful of blood from his mouth and winced in pain as the cut on his lip split open again. He heard his phone buzz behind him and picked it up to see a message from a familiar number.

"You ok, Murphy?" 

He looked over his shoulder to see a couple of uniformed officers watching him with raised eyebrows, and realised too late that he'd cursed aloud. 

"Yeah, yeah, just HR riding my ass about this shit," he gestured to his bruised and bloody mouth. Satisfied with the answer, both men rolled their eyes in understanding and left the changing room. Murphy collected his things, ignored the curious stares from his colleagues, and quickly made his way through the precinct to his car before opening the message. A video. The message linked to a video and he hesitated a moment, mouth dry and heart pounding, before clicking on the link.

"Shit, shit, shit!" he cursed as a familiar face appeared on the screen, eyes listless and mouth stained red. The grainy video ran for 1 minute and 36 seconds and ended on an image of his stupid fucking face, smiling and clearly drunk. He stared quietly at the image of his moronic face for a few minutes before rubbing his eyes and making the call. 

"There was no need for that," were the first words out of his mouth when the call was finally picked up, "it's done. The DA's heading over to the prison later today." 

"Good. Don't call this number again," said the man before the line went dead. 

Murphy slumped down in his seat and closed his eyes, praying that it was over. He wasn't a bad guy, he'd made a mistake, one fucking mistake, and there was no way he was going to let his life burn over one little mistake. 

*************************

William Hale had been born to a poor, overworked mother and a drunk, neglectful father. He'd clawed his way through life, not once complaining, never once allowing the stresses and strains of his life to break his resolve, but he had to confess, if only to himself, that he was finally tired. Drained in a way he never thought he could be. His body was betraying him more and more each day, and everyday the ache in his chest at his wife's absence from this world grew a little more painful. Gritting his teeth as another wave of pain crashed over him, he flung off the stiff white sheets and sat up slowly. 

"Mr. Hale-"

"Hand me my phone," he instructed, cutting her off and gesturing to the buzzing phone on the table across the room. The nurse pursed her lips in disapproval but fetched his phone for him nonetheless. Thanking her, he asked for a moment of privacy and waited until she'd left the room before answering the call. 

"Helen, thank you for returning my call. Has your department made any progress with the bombing?" 

DA Helen Cordell and he had first met at a fundraiser 5 years ago and he'd been delighted to find the woman was as progressive as she was accomplished. 

"William," she sighed, sounding exasperated, "you know I can't discuss an ong-"

"Helen, you know why I'm asking. Please." 

The alpha fell silent and he knew she was surprised by the emotion in his voice. 

"I'm charging him with the bombing today. That's all you get." 

He smiled at the news and thanked her before terminating the call and reaching for his bag. The door to his room was pushed open and the nurse from earlier walked in carrying a tray holding a cup filled with colourful medication and a plate of food. She paused when she saw him removing a shirt from his bag and shook her head. 

"Mr. Hale, I must insist that you get back into bed. Dr. McCall left strict instructions about -" 

He ignored the rest of the spiel and continued to remove the rest of his suit from the bag. Throwing a towel over his shoulder, he made his way across the room to the bathroom and switched on the shower. 

"MR. HALE!" yelled the nurse, shrill and red faced. 

He walked back into the room and picked up his shaving kit before turning back to the nurse and smiling. In a voice filled with all the authority of an alpha in a serious 'do not question me' mood, he told the nurse to arrange his discharge, assuring her that he would deal with any fallout that may arise from his early departure from the clinic. 

An hour and a half later, shaved, showered, dressed, and reluctantly discharged, he was sat in the back of his car on his way to the prison. It was high time for a little meet and greet with the sonofabitch who almost killed his son. 

************************

Victoria set the photograph down on the nightstand and took one final look around the room. It had been a long time since she'd seen the inside of Chris' bedroom, but unsurprisingly little had changed in the intervening years. Her husband had never been an ostentatious man and it showed it the clean, simple lines of his room. Removing her wedding ring, she placed it and the flash drive by the photograph of a 2 year old Kate on the nightstand and left the room. Making her way down the staircase she was assaulted by memories of a past that she'd come to realise was a farce. Photographs of Kate smiling, with Gérard always somewhere in the frame, adorned the length of the wall and served as cruel reminders of her failings as a mother. 

When she reached the bottom of the staircase she calmly put on her long, cashmere jacket and walked over to the mirror to fix her hair. In the mirror's reflection she could see the devastation of the house behind her - broken chairs, shattered glass, upturned tables, but ignored it and reached for her car keys. She stepped over the debris that littered the hallway and walked to the door, pausing for one last moment to look back over her shoulder at the wreck that had once been her home. Glancing up at the upper levels of the house, she pictured Gérard's study in her minds eye and tried not to vomit at the memory of what she'd found hidden in his safe. 15. The number had been rattling around in her head since she'd made the gruesome discovery, and now it was the only thing that occupied her mind. 15. 15. 15.

Turning away from the empty rooms and halls, she opened the front door and left the house for the last time. 

***************************

Deucalion leaned against the edge of the desk and watched the screen where a throng of reporters surrounded a slightly built alpha with greying hair and a stern expression. The news that Argent was being charged with the bombing of the hospital had broken 10 minutes ago, and he'd been watching each 'breaking news' segment with a healthy dose of pride and a tumbler full of a 1976 Dalmore Whiskey. Across the room Ennis was sat at a small desk watching rows upon rows of numbers move across a laptop screen as he spoke quietly into a cell phone.

The landline rang loudly behind him so he reached back to pick up the phone already knowing who was on the other end of the line. 

"How long?" 

Deucalion clicked his fingers and Ennis held up 2 fingers. 

"Another couple of hours at the most. Some of the more stubborn shareholders are waiting to see if he can ride out the storm, but it's nothing I can't deal with," he assured, taking a sip of his whiskey. 

"Macallan?" 

"Dalmore," he corrected and heard Alexandr laugh. 

" Well, I shall leave you to your whiskey. Move quickly once everything is in place; the Russians are getting restless and I want to cut them off at the knees." 

Deucalion clenched his jaw; the Russians were forever nipping at their heels and the rat race was getting tiresome. 

"Of course, Alexandr," he responded, setting his tumbler down on the desk.

"Well done, my boy. You did well." 

*************************

Gérard stared at the yellowing wall of his cell and imagined flinging Deucalion's body against it repeatedly until the surface was covered in the bastards blood. O'Leary watched him cautiously from where he stood over the toilet, eyes darting nervously between the old, crusty copy of Playboy sitting on the sink, and the old man sitting deathly still on the bottom bunk.  
Gérard ignored the slick sound of O'Leary's hand on his cock and focused on untangling the knotted threads of the web in which he'd been entrapped. 

That Deucalion wanted to destroy him was a known and unsurprising, but why blackmail him into confessing about Hale's kidnapping by lying about finding evidence of Margaret's murder? Why not just kill him? Surely a bullet in the head was easier than this elaborate plan to have him incarcerated for what? A year? Two years at the most? He was missing something but he had no idea what that something was. Goddamit! What the fuck was going on? What if -

"Ah, ah, ooh...fuck, yeah...aw fu.."

The sound of his cellmate frantically jerking off interrupted his train of thought and snapped what little was left of his patience. O'Leary's hand moved faster and faster and his breathing deepened as Gérard walked up behind him and placed his hands around the man's neck. The waste of space barely had time to flinch before he jerked his head as far right as he could and snapped his neck. O'Leary's lifeless body slumped over the sink, so he moved him until it looked like the idiot had fallen asleep on the toilet before sitting back down and returning to his thoughts. 

He curled his hands into fists when he was interrupted a second time, the fat little guards face peering in through the small opening in the door. 

"You got a visitor, Argent. Get up slowly and put your hands behind your back," the man stammered out, before glancing at O'Leary. 

"What's up with him?" 

Gérard shrugged, disinterested and impatient. "I don't fucking know, I'm not his mother. Now hurry the fuck up with those cuffs," he said between gritted teeth. The fat guard disappeared for a moment before opening the door with his gun cocked and the handcuffs dangling from his left hand. 

He moved forward, grabbed the handcuffs and clicked them into place before stepping into the guards space and mockingly asking "ready, Officer?"

The guard flushed a bright pink but knew better than to retaliate; he may be behind bars but he was still Gérard Argent, and his friends were not to be trifled with. Ignoring the dead beta on the toilet, the men exited the cell and walked the short distance to the private visiting rooms. The special ones usually reserved for conjugal visits. Gérard frowned. 

"In here?" 

The fat little man merely nodded before opening the door and shoving him in. Confused, he looked down at his handcuffed hands then noticed the figure sitting on the bed. 

"Victoria? What the hell is going on?" 

His daughter in law stood up and walked towards him, face blank and eyes filled with an emotion he couldn't quite decipher. She stopped a foot away and stared at him quietly until he snapped his fingers impatiently and asked her what the fucking hell was going on. 

"And get these damn things off me! We have to talk about something important, so I need you to shut your mouth and li-" a manicured finger was placed firmly on his lips and he stopped mid sentence in shock. 

"Do you believe in God, Gérard?" she whispered, inching closer, circling him slowly until she stood behind him. "I didn't, but I find myself hoping for his existence," he felt her rest her head on his shoulder as she spoke," if only for want of his counterpart. I need for hell to exist, Gérard, because...I...I don't think the suffering I'm about to inflict on you will be enough." 

He felt the sharp edge of a blade cut into his flank and screamed. 

 

TBC......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just noticed how long this chapter is...oops?


	50. Chapter 50

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter wakes up and Victoria enjoys a 'conjugal visit' with Gérard....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING -some pretty heavy graphic violence and mentions of abuse are contained in the second half of this chapter. 
> 
>  
> 
> Apologies for the delayed update but RL is a b$#ch sometimes. Thank you for your continued support as I write this monster of a fic - which I hope you're enjoying despite the length - and as always, thank you for your kudos and lovely comments! 
> 
> This work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

'Dad, call me asap. It's Peter.' 

Talia stared at the message she'd sent to her father an hour ago and sighed. Her father should have been here for Peter, this was not her place; her brother despised her and she knew he'd hate it that she'd seen him so weak and helpless. Massaging the knotted muscles at the back of her neck, she sat back in the hard plastic chair and closed her eyes. 

"Give it back, Jimmy! You're such a dumbo!" 

The high pitched screams pierced right through her and exacerbated the throbbing headache currently jackhammering away at her brain.  
She opened her eyes to see a young girl of no more than seven running after a younger dark haired boy, who ran ahead of her, chuckling and holding a doll of some kind high in the air. The boy skidded to a halt by a trash can and held the doll over its open mouth, sticking his tongue laughingly out at the little girl. 

"Jimmy! Give her back!" cried the girl, pressing up against the boy in a futile effort to reach the doll dangling out of her reach. 

"No! You pulled my hair!" said the boy, scowling rather adorably and jiggling the doll threateningly. 

"You ate my last red vine!"

"Only 'cuz you stole my m and m's!"

The silly argument continued for a shockingly long time as the doll dangled ever more precariously over the mouth of the trash can, food theft related accusations being flung back and forth in increasingly annoyed tones until the little girl huffed and pushed the boy roughly against the wall. 

"Fine! Keep the stupid doll! I don't wan' it after your stupid, smelly omega hands have touched it anyway!" 

Both Talia and the boy flinched. The boy's face fell, all traces of amusement and youthful cockyness well and truly gone. The boy lowered his arm and quietly handed the doll back to the girl before discreetly rubbing his eyes and shrugging. 

"Sorry. It's not smelly, Cassie, promise," he mumbled in a voice so quiet and sad that she felt a lump form in her throat.

The little girl looked blankly at the doll for a minute before looking to the boy with trumbling lips and glassy eyes. Talia watched as the boy awkwardly smiled and once more rubbed his eyes. The girl abruptly hurled the doll into the trash can and wrapped her arms around the boy, tucking her head into the crook if his neck. The omega stood there awkwardly, allowing himself to be embraced but clearly unsure as to what would come next.

"Sorry. I'm a dumbo," the girl apologised, pulling back and reaching into her pocket to remove a small yellow bag of candy. "I got a few left...you wanna eat them?"

"Am I smelly, Cassie?," the boy asked, red faced with embarrassment. Talia saw the young girl punch his arm lightly before saying, "yeah, but you smell like mom's chocolate chip cookies and they're my favourite. I'm only a dumbo alpha who smells like," the girl sniffed her arm and shrugged,"soap. Boring."

The boy giggled and snatched the small bag of candy from the girl's outstretched hand, happily munching on the colourful pellets. As the children shared the candy, a harried looking man rushed into the waiting area and sighed in relief when he caught sight of the them standing by the trashcan. 

"Kids! What did I tell you about running off? You know how worried your mom and I get" rebuked the man angrily, crouching down and looking at then both with a disappointed expression. 

"Sorry dad," they both chimed, giggling and offering their father the last of the colourful candy. The man rolled his eyes and shook his head, trying (and failing) to surpress a fond smile. 

"Ok, come on then, it's time for us to pick up mom." 

The family quickly made their way down the hall and she watched them until they disappeared around a corner before picking up her jacket and standing up. Discarding the terrible cup of coffee she'd purchased from the vending machine, she paused a moment as she caught sight of the girl's doll lying amongst the garbage, and shook her head, shaking off memories of a blue eyed toddler following her around with a bright smile and grabby hands. 

Ten minutes later and she was back outside Peter's room, wanting to go in and find out what was happening but unable to muster the courage to knock on the closed door. She checked her phone again and cursed when she saw her father had yet to respond to her calls and messages. A loud, anguished scream shattered the hushed quiet of the hallway and Talia stumbled back in shock as she recognised Peter's voice calling her name. What the hell was going on?

The door to Peter's room was slammed open and Melissa McCall stepped out and glanced around the hallway before finally spotting her and striding forward. The set of the beta's jaw and the fiery look in her eyes made the alpha take another step back. She shouldn't be here...this wasn't her place. Where the hell was her father?

Melissa stopped half a foot away and appeared to brace herself, which only made her already frayed nerves, fray even further. 

"I need you in that room. Now."

Talia froze, certain she must have misheard the good doctor, an illusion that was quickly dispelled when Melissa scowled and shook her head in disgust. 

"M-me?," she stammered, her tone clearly conveying the complete absurdity of the 'request'. Another loud scream leaked through the closed door and she flinched as Melissa moved forward into her space and slammed her hand forcefully against the wall behind her. 

"Enough is fucking enough. You listen to me, Talia, you either walk your Chanel wrapped ass into that room in the next 10 seconds, or I drag you into it by your hair, kicking and screaming, ruining both your $300 haircut and your $2000 outfit. Choice is yours, Alpha," she spat, shaking her head and slamming the wall again, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. "He's my best friend and your brother. For once in your miserable life, do the right fucking thing."

Talia swallowed the automatic retort sitting on the tip of her tongue as she finally registered the sound of Peter sobbing loudly behind the closed door of his room. She hadn't heard her brother cry since - Talia swallowed the bile that hit the back of her throat as memories from a night best forgotten flashed before her eyes. The memory of watching Chris Argent completely destroy her brother, in a room filled with laughing alphas as she stood shoulder to shoulder with a smirking Victoria, had her lower her gaze and break out in goosebumps. It had been decades since she'd thought of that night. 

"Fine."

"Fine? Well, gee, so kind of you, alpha," snapped Melissa, shaking her head and turning back to Peter's room, muttering angrily under her breath. Talia sighed and felt her head throb painfully. 

She followed the beta into the room and saw Peter huddled against the headboard, eyes darting over the two nurses in the room suspiciously. His bright blue eyes were red rimmed and a straggly beard covered half of his face, and once again she thought about how much he'd hate anyone, most of all her, seeing him like this.  
Peter froze on the bed and sniffed the air before focusing in on her with a confused, desperate expression. The unadulterated need she saw etched in every line of his face made a frisson of fear run through her and she almost turned around and left, probably would have were it not for Melissa's vice like grip on her arm. 

"M-Melissa, I don't t-think we sho-" she began but stopped when she saw Peter heave himself off the hospital bed with a pained expression and shaking legs. 

The nurses, Melissa, and Talia watched on in stunned silence as Peter slowly walked the few feet that separated him from the alpha, before all but collapsing against her. Talia wrapped her arms around him instinctively and yelled at one of the nurses to pull over a chair, before helping him into it. Chest heaving and sweat pouring down his face, this man looked so far from the Peter she knew that she had no idea how to even begin dealing with him. 

"Tl-ya...me hep," he croaked before frowning and shaking his head. Taking a deep breath, Peter licked his dry lips and once again repeated the garbled phrase, the terrified confusion and frustration clear in his tone and expression. The omega fisted a hand in his greasy hair and shook his head from side to side. 

"Hey," she said, bringing his attention back to her, "what is it? What do you need, Peter?"

The omega stared at her face, eyes wide with confusion. She repeated the question but it only seemed to anger him as he shook his head ever more violently and yelled "Tl-ya, me hep," over and over again. At a loss, she turned to Melissa and splayed her heads in a 'what the hell do I do?' gesture, but the beta ignored her in favour of studying Peter, her mouth set in a grim line and her brow furrowed in thought. 

As Peter pulled on her sleeve, desperately trying to get her to understand, Talia glanced at her phone and prayed for her father to call. 

************************

William lifted his arms and waited patiently for the uniformed guard to finish his search. He'd arrived at the prison a short while ago and having deposited his phone with the front desk, was clearing the final stage of the prison's 'security protocols'. 

"Thank you, Sir," said the guard, returning his suit jacket to him and directing him to the waiting area. 

"When can I see him?," he asked the short, auburn haired beta, who shrugged in response and told him another guard would be down to assist him in a few mintues, before returning to his post. Checking the time on his watch, he saw that it was approaching mid morning and felt a ripple of unease course through him. Unsure as to what could be causing the strange sensation, he reached into his jacket for his phone and cursed when he recalled that he'd been required to leave it with the front desk. Something did not feel right. 

"Really, William?"

William turned to face the owner of the irked voice and sighed when he found himself face to face with DA Helen Cordell. The alpha thanked the guard trailing her and quickly closed the distance between them. Short with a wiry frame and what his mother would have called 'handsome features', Helen Cordell appeared banal to most, an impression the alpha quickly dispelled when she opened her mouth and wielded her razor sharp intellect like a weapon. 

"Are you really so surprised, Helen? After what he did to my son, did you honestly think I wouldn't come?," he asked, anger clearly evident in each enunciated word. 

The DA sighed and gestured for him to take a seat before calling for a guard. A tall, latino beta with a thick dark beard jogged over to her, and Helen instructed him to ensure Argent was in the visitors room in the next 10 minutes. William saw the guard fidget at the directive and frowned. 

"Also, the prisoner's lawyer, Jeremiah Masareau, will be arriving shortly, please ensure he's processed through security as quickly as possible," she said, flicking through a file and checking her watch, "I have court in an hour."

Helen turned her back to the guard and moved to take a seat beside him, but stopped when the guard coughed and apologetically told her that he would be unable to carry out her instructions as the prisoner was currently exercising his conjugal visiting rights.

"What?!" he exclaimed, enraged, as Helen asked the more sensible question of "with whom?" 

The guard flinched at the authority in both their voices and seemed unsure as to who to answer first. Helen stepped in front of the guard and looked up at him with the expression that had earned her the nickname 'the incinerator'.

"Uh...I-I believe the name on the list was Victoria Argent, ma'am." 

"What the hell did you just say?," asked Helen in a dangerously soft voice. The guard paled and began to fumble with his radio, calling for his superior, when an ear splitting alarm sounded through the room. William heard the thundering of boots beyond the door and looked to Helen, who glanced at the door with a furrowed brow. The guard's radio squawked to life and both of the alpha's cursed when they heard the name 'Argent' yelled over the line. 

"Take us to Argent, right now," commanded Helen, already walking towards the door and gesturing for him to follow her. 

"B-but ma'am, security pro-" 

"Screw the protocols," she interrupted harshly, opening the door. The guard sputtered and objected behind them, but shut his mouth when Helen looked directly at him and said, "I'm the district attorney, officer, so when I say screw protocol, I mean move your ass and do as I say. Understood?" 

William felt his own alpha spine stiffen at the total authority in her voice, and saw the guard flush brightly and quickly head to the door. The beta pulled two bullet proof vests from a small locker by the front office and threw them in their direction before heading up a metal staircase with his gun drawn. 

William could hear a loud pounding as they approached the far end of the prison and fastened the vest over his jacket. What the hell were the Argent's doing now?

**************************

Victoria jammed the door shut as her time with Gérard came to an end, and wiped the knife clean on the hem of her blood drenched cashmere coat. Sprays of blood painted the lower half of the walls and the previously white sheets on the bed were now stained a dull red, the blood already beginning to dry and stiffen the fabric. 

Her hands slipped on the blood slicked handle of the knife and she tutted when she looked down at her crimson hands.

"I should have brought towels - but then that would've looked strange I suppose," she mused, wiping her hands on a clean corner of the bed sheet. 

The naked, blood covered body slumped against the bed chuckled darkly as she crouched down and sliced off another strip of skin - the last piece in fact, covering the man's right inner thigh. The chuckle turned to a whimper and she smiled, digging her nails into the exposed muscle. 

"S-she loved e-every second of it, you know...l-lavished in the attention," he choked out, smiling widely and throwing his head back to stare at the ceiling. 

Victoria closed her eyes and tried to quash the grief that threatened to overtake her rage. Unbelievably, he kept on taking. 

"J-just like her w-whore of a mother." The gurgling laughter filled the stale air of the room and she found herself wondering how long it would take until he could no longer talk. She'd wrongly assumed that he would've passed out by now but she wasn't complaining, the longer he stayed awake, the more time she had to savour the pained grimaces that painted themselves across his gnarled face. 

"I think I should start on the left thigh now...or...maybe the testicles?," she muttered to herself, moving the tip of the knife between the pale skin of his inner thigh to the crinkled, dark skin of his left testicle, all the while playing a game of eenie-minie-mo in her head. 

She saw the muscle in his thigh jump when the tip of the knife lingered a little too long on his testicle and bit her lip. Options, options, too many options. 

"Since it looks like you're going to k-kill me anyway," he said, breathing heavily and dropping his head forward to meet her gaze, "I'm curious, who does the mini whore belong to?"

The question made her pause. 

"What?," she asked quietly, watching a cruel smirk twist itself across his face. Gérard shook his head and pointed at her with his shackled hands. 

"Y-you always were a w-wild one...still remember how y-you taste," he laughed, licking his lips. "Come on, Victoria, g-grant a dying man's l-last wish. Who d'you f-fuck to get her?" 

Fleetingly, she wondered how long he'd known and then realised that it made no difference. The 15 year old girl she'd seen in his little video collection had called him Grandpa as he'd handed her to the animals who destroyed her. What difference did it make if it was this supposed knowledge, that she was not his blood, that gave him the justification to ruin her? If not by blood, then Kate's bond to him had been forged by history, by the implicit trust a child bestows on those that raise them. A trust that he betrayed. She was drawn from her thoughts by his amused but hoarse voice. 

"She c-cried the first time...that FDA official l-liked it a little r-raw, but after...l-like she was born for it," he mumbled, eyes closing and head falling to the side. Plunging the knife deep into his thigh, she dragged the knife up through the muscle and found herself soothed by his ear splitting scream. So enraptured was she that she didn't notice the opening of the small metal window in the door or the horrified cry of the guard. 

Pulling the knife from his leg, she placed its tip beneath his chin and lifted his head up to stare directly into his eyes. 

"Look at me. I want you to look at me while you die," she commanded, pressing forward to look closely into his eyes and smiling when she saw fear cloud them. Standing up, she heaved his limp body from the floor and sat him on the metal chair bolted to the floor by the bed, binding him to the chair with the stiff, blood stained sheets. 

Wiping the blood from her cheek, she stood before him and felt a complete calm settle over her. The sounds of yelling and pounding finally registered as she removed a folded photograph from her pocket. The pounding grew louder and she heard something heavy knock against the door. Stealing one final moment, Victoria gazed longingly at the photograph of a younger, smiling Chris and an 8 year old Kate wearing bed sheets as capes, sunlight shining brightly on their faces, and allowed herself to think of what could have been.

Moment stolen, she placed the photograph on the bed and walked around Gérard's barely conscious body to stand behind him, placing the sharp edge of the knife firmly against his throat, and waited. She didn't have to wait long; the door was flung open a moment later and she found herself faced with a dozen or so armed guards but also a surprisingly familiar face. 

"Victoria?! What are you doing?" 

William Hale stared at her in shock from behind an armed gaurd, eyes moving from her face to the blood soaked walls, to finally the body beneath her. She heard a gasp followed by a quiet "good god" and saw another familiar face enter the room behind William. DA Helen Cordell looked as white as a ghost as she absorbed the details of the scene before her and clapped a hand to her mouth. Well, it's a larger audience than I expected, she thought, tired and ready for this to be over. Leaning down, she slapped Gérard's face to wake him and saw the guards aim their guns at her head. 

"Victoria, h-honey...drop the knife." 

She glanced up at William and saw his shoulders drop when she shook her head. Gérard's breathing became shallow as she tightened her hold around his neck and placed her lips by his ear. 

"Ma'am, drop the knife and back away from the prisoner," she heard a guard say loudly as William continued to plead with her to drop the knife. 

The cacophony of the audience faded away as she finally saw Gérard's eyes flutter open. Tensing her forearm, she readied the knife and whispered her truth to the monster who raped her. 

"She's yours Gérard. The 'mini whore' -she's yours. And if God does exist, I pray that you burn in hell for an eternity with that knowledge." 

She heard a last pained whimper before she pulled the knife across his throat and indulged in the relief of his life slowly ebbing away. When the first bullet hit her in the throat, she confessed that the symmetry was appropriate; she'd ended the life of the man who ruined her daughter by slashing his throat, and the armed man who ended her life had done so by lodging a bullet into the throat of the person who had let the monster in. Funny how life always came full circle, she thought as she fell back into darkness. 

 

TBC......


	51. Chapter 51

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ennis meets with Murphy and Stiles releases some rage....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, I hope you enjoy the chapter, and as always many, many, many thanks for the kudos, comments, and continued support. I had a reader comment that I shouldn't complain about the length of the fic as they liked that it was long, which was very sweet (and made me laugh) and so great to hear given that Sterek is still a blip on the horizon at this point. I confess I find myself having to stop myself writing more because in my head each character has this lengthy back story that explains why they are who they are. However, if I did write all that I shudder to think how many chapters this monster would end up being. Point is, thank you for reading and enjoying my saga. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

Michael turned up the heat in the car and took another huge bite of his cheesburger as he watched the entrance to BHPD. He'd been sat here for hours and hoped the wunderkind appeared soon because that 64 oz coke was sitting heavy in his bladder. 

After McCarthy had ripped him a new asshole and proceeded to stuff it with his large, angry foot, the Chief had demanded his badge and gun and told him he was suspended for a month. He'd considered arguing for a split second before spotting the large, throbbing vein pulsing right down the middle of the Chief's forehead and promptly shutting his mouth; he was many things, but suicidal was not one of them. So, he'd calmly handed over his badge and gun, before calmly walking out of the office and kicking over a water cooler, stomping on it as he pictured Murphy's smug, chiselled face. Mature? No. Mildly satisfying? Eh, kinda. 

As he crumpled up the greasy brown take out bag still holding a few stray fries, he saw Murphy exit the precinct and slumped down discreetly in his seat. The blonde appeared engrossed in a phone call and didn't notice Michael's shitty Honda civic parked across the street as he got into his shiny black Mercedes (the prick) and pulled out of the parking lot. Wiping his hands on a napkin, he started his car and merged into traffic, making sure to remain atleast three car lengths behind Murphy. 

There was a reason the wunderkind had gone to McCarthy without telling him, reasons other than the bullshit he'd spouted early this morning after he'd wiped the blood from his mouth. Michael had been a cop a long time, too damn long, and he could smell bullshit a mile away; so while Murphy screamed down the precinct with crap about how he was just following orders and how it was 'the right thing' to do to go to McCarthy with Argent's file, Michael watched the alpha's squirrelly eyes and felt the cogs in his brain begin to turn. He was an expert in detecting bullshit, and Murphy was neck deep in the stuff. 

***************************

Ennis ignored the admiring glances of the two bottle blonde's sitting at a table nearby and took another sip of his exorbitantly priced coffee. He heard one of the women make a crude remark to her friend about his ass just as the door to the café swung open and Scott Murphy appeared in the doorway. The women almost squealed at the arrival of the alpha and Ennis felt his patience wearing dangerously thin. 

Ignoring the breathless gasps of the women sat nearby, he waited until Murphy sat down and ordered a coffee before speaking. 

"I believe I told you not to call me again." 

Murphy fidgeted in his chair and touched a hand to his bruised mouth, but remained otherwise silent, eyes flitting between the door and his phone. Ennis watched the movement with disinterest and decided to give the man another 2 mintues of his time before he did something much worse than bruise the alpha's mouth.

When Murphy finally spoke 1 minute and 14 seconds later, he did so with unsteady hands and a hesitant voice. It almost made Ennis smile. Almost. 

"I, uh...you g-guys said you'd give me the original copy of the - the, uh, video," he said, his voice tapering off into a whisper. "I did what you wanted; Holden implicated Landford, Landford the sick fuck is dead, and Argent's been charged with the bombing. I've done everything you asked, p-please," he pleaded, frustrated and desperate, "give me the video." 

Ennis set down his coffee cup, pushed his chair back and stood up. Buttoning his suit jacket and straightening his cuffs, he stepped forward and saw Murphy's face pale as he clapped a hand on his shoulder and squeezed. Hard. 

"No," he said simply, withdrawing his hand. "We'll be in touch." 

They had a few officers on the payroll at BHPD but having one so pathetically and completely at their mercy for a little longer couldn't hurt, he thought, weaving his way through the tables to the door. 

"WAIT!" 

His hand froze on the door and the patrons of the café quieted in shock at the outburst. Putting on a charming smile, he turned and walked back towards Murphy, quietly apologising to the curious people dotted around the small café. Murphy looked terrified as he approached but was too slow to evade his hold. Curling his hand tightly around the man's bicep, he pulled him forward and leaned down into his space. Blocking the patrons view of them with his rather substantial form, he lowered his voice and tightened his hold on the alpha until he saw Murphy wince in pain. 

"One more word and you won't be alive to worry about that video of you fucking an underage alpha in an illegal brothel," he whispered, digging his fingers into the other man's bicep painfully, "understood?"

Murphy nodded and pulled away, sheened with sweat and trembling, but smart enough to smile for the crowd.

"W-what if I have s-some information that could be of interest to you? C-could I have the video then?"

Ennis was tempted to kill the idiot on the spot and fuck the consequences but like the good soldier he was, instead countered with a nonchalant "give me the information and I'll see." 

Murphy swallowed and appeared to consider his next move before finally sighing in defeat and nodding. Ennis jerked his head in the direction of the bathroom and placed his hand in the small of Murphy's back to push him forward. 

"Hmmm, what I wouldn't give to watch that sword fight," he heard one of the bottle blonde's whisper before both women broke out in giggles. Murphy scowled at the women only to receive a lascivious wink in return. 

He shoved Murphy into the single stall bathroom and locked the door before turning to him with an expectant expression, not really expecting much but enjoying watching the alpha squirm. Murphy nervously glanced at the closed door behind him and bobbed his head up and down like a moron. 

"Yeah, ok - uh, we got a call from the prison a half hour ago. Argent's dead. They said his daughter in law went nuts and slit the guy's throat, fricking blood bath apparently. The Chief's on his way there right now."

Ennis remained poker faced as he absorbed the news, but his mind was already planning the numerous phone calls and deals that would be made in the next few hours once they leaked the news. The last few shareholders holding onto their interest in G.A Pharmaceuticals were old friend's of Gérard and had been reluctant to part with their shares despite generous offers amid plunging stock prices. But he knew that even the most loyal of those friends would jump ship once this particular turd hit the fan. Murphy had just made the acquisition of those last few crucial shares of G.A Pharmaceuticals a whole lot easier. Deucalion would be pleased. 

"So...about that video?..."

Pushing off the door, he patted the alpha's face patronisingly and told him he'd think about it. A frustrated Murphy followed him out of the bathroom and exited the café, not bothering to pay for his coffee, and slamming the door behind him. The bottle blondes watched his retreating form with a mixture of disappointment and poorly concealed arousal. He imagined the scenarios the women were playing in their minds as to what had transpired behind the locked door of the bathroom, and grimaced at the pathetic need the women exuded. 

Ennis dropped a few bills on the table and watched Murphy get into his car, clenching his jaw and narrowing his eyes when he spotted the silver Honda civic follow the fool out of the parking lot.

 

****************************

Derek sighed as Laura rejected the call for the third time since they'd left the hospital an hour ago.

"We'll have to talk to her sooner or later, Laura, she's our mother...we can't just pretend that she doesn't exist," he said, glancing at his sister's annoyed expression as her phone lit up once again. 

"You wanna bet?," she retorted, switching off her phone as they pulled into the Centre's parking lot. 

"Laura-"

"I get it, Derek, I do," she said, cutting him off, "but right now there's so much shit being flung our way that I have to prioritise, and dealing with mom doesn't even crack the top three."

His sister was stubborn to a fault and he'd learned a long time ago that it was an exercise in futility trying to get her to do something she didn't want to do. A lot like their mother, he thought, wisely keeping that particular observation to himself. They both exited the car in an awkward silence and made their way into the Centre. An exhausted looking nurse wearing purple scrubs greeted them at reception as four different phones rang simultaneously on the desk behind her. He saw Laura's eyes move from the scattered paperwork behind the desk to the ringing, unanswered telephones, and watched a deep divot form between her dark brows. 

"Hey, Em, we're here for an appointment with Dr. Schafer," Laura told the nurse uncertainly as another nurse, this time wearing pale blue scrubs, rushed past them shaking his head. Em, the nurse at reception, nodded wearily and asked them to take a seat before answering one of the shrilly ringing phones. Derek saw a flash of irritation cross Em's face as she conversed quietly with the person on the other end of the line. 

"What the hell is going on?," muttered Laura as they watched Em abruptly slam down the phone and dash down one of the hallways. Just as Laura got up to follow, a short, balding man of sixty with tortoiseshell glasses and a flustered expression rounded the corner with an armful of colourful files. Derek glanced at the man's plaid bowtie, currently hanging askew at an almost vertical angle, and pursed his lips to keep from smiling. 

"Laura? And Derek too? Goodness. Kids, what are you doing here?," asked the man as he noticed them in the reception area. Laura's frown deepened at the query but she remained silent as Derek stood up and greeted the doctor. 

"Hi, Dr. Schafer, I have an appointment today at 2. With you," he clarified, noticing the look of surprise on the doctor's face. 

Dr. Schafer was the Centre's resident therapist and had worked there since it had first opened its doors over 15 years ago. After last night's talk and his promise to try and seek help for the nightmares and the hand washing and the not talking about the shooting, Laura had begged him to try talking to Dr. Schafer. He'd agreed only because they'd known the man for years and Derek knew how passionate the beta was about helping people; he only hoped Dr. Schafer had something in his bag of tricks to cure the crazy that he was currently exhibiting. Laura had slapped him on the back of the head when he'd said that aloud back at the hospital, eyes glassy with tears and mouth downturned disapprovingly. 

"You're not crazy, you big, dumb, idiot," she'd chided gently, much to his amusement. 

"I'm so sorry, Derek! It completely slipped my mind. Apologies, but it's been a very...trying day," the doctor said regretfully, drawing Derek from his thoughts.

"Incidentally, would either of you happen to know where Melissa is right now? I haven't been able to contact her since late last night. It's most unlike her, and...well -," the doctor babbled before pausing and glancing at Laura. 

"Laura, in fact...would you mind if I had a word with you? About the Centre," assured Dr. Schafer seeing the indignant look on his face. Laura's frown was replaced with a troubled but torn expression, and Derek told her to go. 

"Are you sure?," she asked, biting her lip and no doubt thinking she was being a crappy sister by abandoning him so soon after he'd been discharged from the hospital. 

"Seriously, Lo, it's fine, go ahead. I might just hang out in the gym until you're done if that's ok though. I'm sick of sitting around doing nothing," he told her. She hugged him tightly and promised she wouldn't be too long before following Dr. Schafer down a hallway. 

Derek walked down the winding hallways in the direction of the gym, his mood brightening considerably at the thought of working out again after weeks spent in and out of the hospital. As he approached the large gym that he'd heard many an omega refer to as the tenth circle of hell after Peter insisted on daily workout sessions for all able patients, he heard the thumping bass of an unfamiliar song beating its way through the wide double doors. Pushing open the door, he tentatively took a step into the gym and almost stumbled as the wall of sound that had been muffled by the doors hit him full force. The song pumping through the speakers came to a cacophonous climax and the silence that followed made his ears ring uncomfortably. Who the hell decided to play music so loud it made your ears bleed, he wondered, shaking his head as the ringing subsided. 

Once the ringing stopped, he heard the faint sound of heavy breathing interspersed with a dull, heavy thudding sound. Derek flinched when another thumping song began blaring through the gym speakers, shattering the silence and causing a dull ache to form at his temple. Walking past the deserted cardio and strength areas, he made his way to the boxing equipment set up at the far end of the large room and froze as he saw the lone figure pounding away at a punching bag. 

Stiles, shirtless and drenched in sweat, stood in the centre of the space with a cold, hard expression on his face as he landed punch after punch into the body of the bag. Unnoticed, Derek watched the omega dance before the swaying black bag, hitting his naked fists into the leather over and over again until he fell to his knees gasping for air, his knuckles bruised and bloody and his naked torso flushed a bright red. 

Barely ten seconds later, he saw the omega push himself off the ground and step toward the bag once more, chest visibly heaving but feet planted surprisingly firmly on the mat. What the hell was Stiles doing, he thought bewildered and concerned as he stepped forward to try to stop the omega from doing himself any further damage. Stepping up behind him, he wrapped his hand around Stiles' bicep and pulled his arm back, only for the omega to round on him in a fury and tackle him to the ground. 

His back hit the mat so fast that he barely had time to process what had happened before he saw a bloodied fist fast approaching his face. Derek pushed up, unseating the enraged omega above him, and rolled away before quickly getting to his feet. He'd just about got his bearings when he felt strong hands shove him up against a wall and twist his forearm to pin it against his back. 

"STILES. STOP." 

He only realised that the music had stopped when he heard his voice, deep and authoritative, echo loudly through the deserted gym. 

 

 

TBC.....


	52. Chapter 52

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles and Derek talk, and Deucalion is visited by an unexpected guest...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, apologies for the late update but I've had a nasty flu the last couple of weeks. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the chapter and as always your kudos and comments are greatly appreciated and welcomed. Thank you guys for sticking with the story. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

'I could pull down those shorts and take you right now...it would serve you well to remember your place, omega...oh, god, Adam...take you right now...remember your place...omega...omega...ome-'

"STILES. STOP." 

The cruel, arrogant voice in his head was silenced by the alpha's command, and he felt the heavy fog of pure rage that had blinded him for the past few hours slowly dissipate. Stiles shook his head and took in his surroundings, freezing when he saw the dark haired, muscle backed alpha that he was currently pressed up against. Releasing the thick forearm clutched tightly in his hand, he stumbled back and groaned when he finally registered the throbbing pain pulsating through his arms. The omega looked down at his fists and grimaced when he saw the bloody, shredded state of his knuckles. Holy shit. How long had he been here, he wondered, lifting up a throbbing, crimson stained fist to examine it. What a fucking mess.

"Stiles...are you ok?" 

Derek. He'd forgotten about Derek. He glanced up at the alpha and scowled when he saw the look of sincere concern on his face. What an asinine fucking question. Naked chest sweat slicked and flushed, fists bloodied, and body trembling, yep, he was sure he looked the picture of health. Fucking alphas. 

"Oh yeah, I'm just peachy," he laughed darkly, turning his back on the alpha and searching for the tank top he'd thrown off a couple of hours ago. Having found the damp shirt strewn across the floor by the hand weights, he pulled it on and ignored the man moving uncertainly behind him. In the floor length mirrors affixed to the back walls, he watched Derek move slowly towards him and stiffened.

"Stop." 

It was no less a command than the one Derek had bellowed a few moments ago, but nonetheless, he was surprised when he saw the alpha freeze a few feet behind him. Soft grey shirt, loose, comfortable looking jeans and a thick, dark beard all combined to make Derek look unnervingly inviting in the dim light of the gym, and Stiles quickly averted his gaze. 

"Your hands are bleeding." 

Concern. Anger. Confusion. Stiles didn't know what to make of the emotions he could hear filtering through that simple statement, but quickly reverted to hostile snark when he made the mistake of glancing at the alpha's reflection. He had not been prepared for the intensity of Derek's gaze. 

"Keen observation, Derek. What gave it away? Was it the blood?," he asked facetiously, shaking his head as he gently massaged his throbbing wrists.   
"What happened?," asked the alpha, evidently undeterred by his caustic tone. 

What happened? Good question, thought Stiles, flashing back to the sensation of a thick, meaty hand wrapped tightly around his throat. Tight. Tighter. Pressing down. Suffocating him. His chest constricted as the hand around his throat tightened even further, cutting off the flow of air to his lungs and choking him. Black dots danced in his vision like menacing little ballerinas and he struggled to breathe, clawing at the alpha's hand circling his throat. He felt his knees hit the ground with a crack as dark eyes, filled with disgust, glared down at him and a hard chest was pressed roughly against his own. 'Remember your place, omega' threatened the alpha and Stiles fell to the ground, bloody fists still flailing uselessly at the big hand digging into his throat painfully. 

He struggled weakly when he felt strong hands grip his biceps and sit him up before moving his hands to place them flat against a warm, firm surface. 

"Stiles? Hey! Stiles, count with me ok? Come on, one," he felt the surface beneath his hands rise slowly and heard a muffled voice instruct him to breath in and out as the counting continued. "Four. In. And out. Good. Five. In. Out." And on and on until his vision cleared and his breathing returned to normal. By the time he stopped shaking and the tingling pain in his chest disappeared, they'd counted up to 18 and Derek looked just as shaken as he felt. 

He noticed the bloody handprints staining Derek's grey shirt and quickly pulled his hands away, embarrassment warring with anger. He was not weak. He didn't need this alpha with his gentle hands and intense green gaze to help put him back together. The bastard from earlier may have reminded him of the vulnerability of his life as an omega but he'd rather choke on alpha dick before allowing himself to feel weak. He was not powerless. And he refused to be beholden to anyone. Least of all this alpha, whose jade green eyes and powerful body had infected his dreams. 

Finally managing to stand up, albeit on shaky legs, Stiles brushed past Derek and moved towards the gym's exit.

"That's it? You're seriously going to walk away like nothing happened?," he heard Derek ask, tone sharp and voice filled with an emotion he didn't want to decipher.

"I don't owe you a goddamned thing, Derek. Leave me the hell alone," he snapped over his shoulder, cradling his pulsating fists and striding towards the exit. 

"Do you run from all of your problems?" 

Stiles froze, the pain and embarrassment all but forgotten, as the alpha's words rang through the empty gym. 

 

***************************

He knew the minute the words were out of his mouth that he shouldn't have said them, but Stiles' careless dismissal of the situation angered him. He'd found the omega pounding away at a punching bag, sans gloves, on the verge of physical exhaustion, before he all but blacked out from a panic attack. Did this not constitute a discussion? An explanation? A fucking passing 'hey that shit was crazy right?'

The omega that he'd come to know was fucking powerful. He was resourceful. Smart. Fearless. Unbreakable. This trembling boy with bloodied fists and quivering lips was a stranger to him, and he didn't understand why, but this stranger...fuck...he angered him. He could hear a voice in his head screaming at him to apologise, to shut the hell up and leave this unfamiliar omega alone. But another voice, quieter but infinitely more authoritative, demanded an explanation. 

As Stiles turned silently towards him, he glanced once again at the blood congealing on the omega's knuckles before slowly moving his eyes up the trembling muscles of his arms and freezing on the boy's neck. He hadn't noticed before, but now it was all he could see; the bruised imprint of a hand circling the omega's long, pale throat. What the fuck had happened to him?

 

**************************

 

There had been many instances in his short life that he had been angry. Frustrated. Exasperated. Enraged. But the fury that shrouded him now was unlike anything he had experienced before; it heated his blood and attuned all of his senses to the alpha standing silently behind him. He turned back to the alpha and allowed those emerald eyes to traverse the length of his body before slowly moving forward. 

Derek's gaze remained fixed to the length of his neck and he saw the alpha's hands curl into fists. When the alpha finally looked up into his eyes, he almost flinched at the anger he saw raging in those hazel eyes and came to a standstill a foot from Derek. 

"You think because you want to fuck me, it somehow gives you the right to question me? To question who I am and what I feel?," he asked in a dangerously soft voice, anger turning each word into a sharpened weapon that he flung at the alpha mercilessly. 

The question appeared to dampen Derek's anger and cause a pale pink blush to stain his cheeks. Unfurling his hands, the alpha shook his head and took a stumbling step back even as Stiles stalked forward. Predatory and spoiling for the kill. 

"N-no, no, t-that - I -" the alpha tripped over his words, turning his blush from pale pink to bright red. 

"No, no, no, what? Who the fuck are you to ask me if I run from my problems? You wanna know my 'problems', Derek? Huh? You wanna know how I much I hate myself for being too fucking weak to stop some shit head alpha from taking Diana? You wanna know how it felt when he threatened to rape me? How the truth that nothing would happen to him even if he did, fucking awoke a terror inside me that I haven't felt in months? Come on, Derek, why don't you tell me which of these problems shouldn't scare the shit out of me so much that all I want to do is hide. My problems?," he snarled, slamming his hand against cold glass, "My fucking problems would scare the crap out of someone like you, so how about you shut the fuck up!"

The alpha stared at him in shock, and Stiles realised that he'd backed the alpha up against the mirrored wall. He stood only a few inches shorter than the alpha, and this close he was able to see those haunting eyes fall from his eyes to his mouth before finally settling on his bruised neck. A strange heat, different to the heat his fury had ignited, shot through his body as the alpha recovered from the shock and straightened to his full height, green eyes still firmly locked onto the expanse of bruised skin at his throat. 

"You're stronger than you think, you know" said the alpha quietly, eyes finally returning to meet his gaze. The simmering heat in his belly ignited like an inferno as brown eyes met green, the fire engulfing him, consuming him so completely that the ache it left in its wake snatched the air from his lungs. Now it was Stiles who stumbled back, skin heating and heart pounding. What the hell was happening to him? What the fuck was wrong with him? Breaking eye contact with Derek, he quickly put some distance between them and turned to walk out of the gym, studiously ignoring the green eyes that he could feel watching him.

"Stiles?" 

He had no idea why, but he stopped. 

"I'm sorry. You're right- I have no right to ask anything of you...I- I tend to speak before I think. I-you..." he heard Derek hesitate behind him, the struggle to articulate his thoughts evident, before he finally said, "you are not weak. Ever since I've met you I've seen you do nothing but fight and face every challenge that's been thrown your way with an unwavering strength. That ability? To get up every day and face a world that terrifies you with its cruelty...it's- maybe you don't quite realise it yet, but you're more powerful than you know." 

Unable to help himself, he glanced over his shoulder and felt that blazing heat return when he saw the way Derek was watching him. Heart pounding, Stiles took one last look at the alpha and fled from the gym. The omega had faced many terrifying obstacles in his young life, but the need that flooded his body as Derek spoke inspired a desire that felt insurmountable, and that...that roused a fear that made him shudder. 

 

**************************

Derek watched the omega practically sprint from the room and fell back against the mirrored wall behind him, the sweet, sugary scent of Stiles still thick in the air. What the hell was wrong with him? 

Sighing, he pulled out his phone and frowned when he saw the two missed calls from Laura. Tapping in the number to his voicemail service, he listened intently as Laura explained that his appointment with Dr. Schafer would have to be rescheduled, as the Centre, and most of its staff, was currently trying to deal with what his sister called 'the Diana Burke fiasco'. He sent Laura a text telling her that it was fine and rolled his eyes when he read her worried response as to how he was going to get home. 

'I'm going to close my eyes, click my heels, and think of home, Lo. Oh wait...crap! Of all the days to forget my ruby slippers!! Goddamit! Guess I'm stuck here forever. You know, since there's no other conceivable way for me to get home now. #Uberisathingnow.' He sent the text and was unsurprised when he received an unflattering response likening him to an old man's rectum. Laughing, he let her know he'd call her later and began to make his way out of the gym, trying, and mostly failing, to ignore the scent that clung to his shirt.

As he waited for his taxi outside the Centre a few minutes later, he mentally replayed his conversation with Stiles and paused when he recalled a name. Diana. Hadn't Laura also mentioned a Diana? Stiles had mentioned something about a 'shit head alpha' taking her, and Laura had referred to the situation as a 'fiasco'.  
Derek had never been as involved with the Centre as Laura and had to confess he knew little about the patients, though the name Diana Burke did sound familiar. Peter must have mentioned her before. Flashing back to the look on Stiles' face when he spoke of Diana, Derek scrolled through his call logs and tapped on an unregistered number near the top of the list. The call was answered almost immediately by a familiar, teasing voice. 

"Hi there, this is The Blonde Job, where all your dirty fantasies are just a phone call away. What can I do for you today, big boy?," asked Erica in a deep, husky voice. He sighed and shook his head, exasperated but admittedly amused. 

"That was awful. Truly, stunningly awful pun work," he remarked as the omega broke out in laughter. When the laughter finally tapered off to a throaty chuckle, Erica called him a snobby asshole (what the hell was wrong with the women in his life?) and asked him what had prompted the call. 

"In fact, you're lucky you caught me GQ, I was just about to dispose of this number. So, with that in mind, you have," she paused and he heard some rustling before she said, "exactly 2 minutes to tell me what you need." 

"How do you know I -"

"GQ," she interrupted, "the clock's ticking. What do you need?" 

"Ok, ok, I need everything you can find on a Diana Burke. She was a patient at my uncle's clinic-the Omeg-" 

"I know what size briefs you wear, big guy, trust me, I know the name of your uncle's facility. When do you need it?" 

He pictured Stiles with his bloody knuckles and bruised skin, and answered, "ASAP." 

 

***************************

"Apologies, Mr. Karas, but there is an Agent MacKenna here to see you." 

Deucalion switched off the several TV screens situated behind his desk and instructed his assistant to show his guest in before walking over to the well stocked bar in the corner of the room. By the time his assistant opened the doors to his office, he had two tumblers, filled with a dark smokey scotch, lined up and ready to be served. 

"Agent MacKenna, good to see you again. Can I interest you in a drink?," he asked, proffering the glass but fully anticipating the man to decline his offer. 

The man glanced at the glass before fixing his eyes on Deucalion and shaking his head. 

"Your loss, Agent. I would suggest reconsidering; I doubt an Interpol agent makes enough to be able to afford such luxuries," he commented, placing the rejected drink onto his desk. 

Ronan MacKenna's eyes, one blue, one brown, remained fixed on him as he sat down behind his desk and sipped at the delicious scotch. Standing at just under 6 feet tall with a head of thick, black hair streaked with silver, and a broad, thick build, the Irishman was impressive to behold. The nose was slightly too thin and the skin still retained the faint scars of adolescent acne, but all in all the beta was an attractive man; not classically handsome but captivating nonetheless. Deucalion had often thought that the man could be put to much better use on his stomach. Or his knees. He wasn't a fussy man. 

"How can I be of assistance, Agent?," he asked, sitting back and watching the stretch of fabric covering the beta's chest with interest. 

"We've had reports of another group of young omegas going missing in Tashkent. Given your recent business ventures in Uzbekistan, particularly in the capitol, we were wondering if you had any information, however inconsequential, regarding the disappearances." MacKenna tucked his hands into the pockets of his well tailored trousers and Deucalion furrowed his brow in thought as though seriously considering the question. 

"Disappearances you say? I'm afraid not, Agent MacKenna, apologies" he said, shaking his head and adopting a worried expression. "What is the world coming to?"

MacKenna narrowed his eyes and Deucalion saw the man's jaw clench tightly. 

"Strange, Mr. Karas," said MacKenna, unclenching his jaw and spitting the name like an epithet, "given that over half a dozen of those that went missing were employed by your company shortly before their disappearances." 

Deucalion watched the beta's colourful eyes stare at him in disgust and surpressed the urge to roll his eyes. 

"I'm a businessman with ventures and businesses all across Europe, Agent MacKenna, you cannot honestly think that I keep track of all of those in my employ. Contrary to popular belief, I am not an all seeing, all knowing entity," he chastised mockingly, watching the beta closely. He'd always sensed an undercurrent of violence in the beta and, delicious as that fire may be, it could disrupt his plans if left unchecked. 

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Karas," said the beta curtly after a tense silence, before turning around and walking out of the office. MacKenna would be back; they'd been sparring long enough that he knew when the foreplay would end and the real fun would begin, and right now the beta was merely teasing him. Deucalion was amused but unconcerned. He was drawn from his thoughts by the sound of his cellphone buzzing loudly at his side. 

He swiped to answer the call and found himself smiling as Ennis relayed the news of Gérard Argent's untimely death. At the hands of his daughter in law no less. Luck may be capricious but he'd found she was at his side more often than not these days. 

 

TBC........


	53. Chapter 53

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cam's heat breaks and we check in on Talia and Peter....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, I hope you enjoy the chapter. Thank you for the kudos but especially the comments - they really are like life blood to a writer simply  
> because you realise - wow, someone's actually reading this....and is invested...that's....bloody awesome! So yeah - thanks!
> 
>  
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)
> 
>  
> 
> P.S (1) Jackson says 'See, it's why we make such a good team'  
> (2) Ukrainian text means (as per Google so **) I win, sweetheart/love

"In the rain?" 

"Yep."

"For over 2 hours?" 

"Uh huh."

"Alone?" 

"Right." 

"At night?"

"Correct."

"You're an idiot," declared Cam, shaking his head and shoving another huge chocolate cupcake into his mouth. Jackson scowled and threw the comic book he'd been reading at the omega's head. 

"And you're a dick," he retorted, lunging forward from his seat by the bed and snatching the last of the chocolate cupcakes from the plate sitting by the omega's knee. Cam glared at him as he bit into the chocolatey treat, so he grinned widely, revealing the gobs of brown mush caked to his teeth. "Iswha wemac sushagoo tee," he laughed, barely able to speak around the dense cakey ball in his mouth. 

Cam threw the comic book back at him and laughed loudly when it slapped his cheek before fluttering uselessly to the floor. "I can't believe I actually understood what you just said. We spend way too much time together, Whittmore." 

He shrugged, and Cam rolled his eyes before untangling his skinny, pale legs from the bed sheets and delicately getting off the bed. Noticing his disapproving expression, the omega rolled his eyes and continued to slowly shuffle towards the bathroom. 

"I coul-"

Cam flipped him the bird over his shoulder (not for the first time that day). "You aren't carrying me into the bathroom like a freaking disney princess, Douchemore. Not happening. Like ever. Never ever. Ever," the omega sing songed, before stepping into the bathroom and slamming the door behind him. Loudly.

Ouch. Jackson scratched the back of his head and wondered what he'd done wrong this time. Cam's heat had only broken a few hours ago, and though his friend had insisted that he was fine, Jackson could see Cam was still weak. It had been obvious in the paleness of his skin and the trembling of his limbs, so why the little shit insisted on being a dick to him whenever he offered to help was beyond him. Annoyed, he made his way downstairs and made his frustration known by loudly slamming the door to Cam's bedroom behind him. I can slam doors too, you little shit, he thought, jogging down the stairs. Two sets of eyes watched him closely as he entered the kitchen and grabbed his backpack. 

"I should get back to school, Mr. Hale. Thanks for letting me see Cam, a-and for c-calling the school," he told the alpha as he mentally cursed himself for not being able to control the stammer in his speech. It only made him angrier with the stupid omega currently sulking upstairs. 

"Uh, sure. Let me just grab-"

The pretty doctor who'd introduced herself as Van last night cut Mr. Hale off and narrowed her eyes at him. Jackson swallowed the lump in his throat and quickly looked away. 

"What did you say to him?," she asked, firm but not unkind. 

Mr. Hale told her to leave it alone but Van shut him up with look, before saying, "David, do you recall how much you used to piss me off after my heats? Frankly, you're lucky I left you with the capacity to reproduce after some of the shit you pulled."

He stood there quietly, feeling awkward, but uncertain if he was allowed to leave right now. Watching Mr. Hale blush with embarrassment was kind of funny though, so he waited for the adults to finish their back and forth before deciding to answer the doctor. 

"I didn't say - I just -," tightening his hold on the straps of his backpack, he took a deep breath and assembled his thoughts. "Cam got up to go to the bathroom and he looked kind of shaky so I offered to help him and he then he got angry and called me Douchemore and slammed the door in my face and I don't even know what I did so I got annoyed and then I slammed his door and came downstairs and now I think I should go back to school."

Van and Mr. Hale stared at him open mouthed and he felt the blood rush to his cheeks, heating his skin. Van recovered first and he sighed in relief when he saw an amused smile appear on the doctor's face. Amused he could deal with, anger and little omega shits being dicks? Not so much. 

"Don't treat him like a baby, Jackson, and you'll be fine. Cam just got his body back, he needs to be the one in control right now. If he wants or needs something, he'll tell you, but in the meantime don't treat him like he's breakable, because he's not. Right now the best thing you can do for him is to treat him normally. He needs to know that this one small aspect of his life doesn't alter who he is. Your first heat is pretty terrifying," she said, getting up from the table and walking over to him, "and sometimes they make you forget that your orientation does not define you." 

She smiled at him and ruffled his hair before moving past him to the fridge behind him. Jackson considered her words and chewed on his lip nervously as he realised he had been treating Cam a little differently since he'd awoken a few hours ago. Fetching him things, forcing him to eat, insisting that he stay on the bed and rest even when the omega insisted he was alright...crap, no wonder Cam was so pissed. He'd been treating his friend like a dumb, incapable little omega. Flushing at the realisation, he mumbled something about changing his mind about going back to school and ran up the stairs to Cam's bedroom. 

He slammed the door open to see the surprised omega watching him from the bed with wide eyes and a mouth filled to capacity with his favourite peanut butter m and m's. 

"Whaa?," asked Cam, chewing on the candy in his mouth and watching him suspiciously. He moved over to the bed and jumped onto the mattress beside his friend, bumping his shoulder gently as he curled his fingers discreetly around the pillow behind him. 

"I'm an idiot," he told the omega sincerely, adding, "you're still a dick, but like still the awesomest dick I know - like you're the best dick, the most amazing, life changing di-oof" 

Cam shoved a handful of m and m's in his mouth to shut him up and he laughed as he pulled the pillow out from behind him and knocked the skinny dark haired boy around the head with it. 

"OK, THAT'S IT! PREPARE TO BE ANNIHILATED, DOUCHEMORE!"

 

***************************

The speck of blood sitting above his left cuff had had him mesmerised for ten minutes. He'd been washing the blood from his hands for fifteen minutes and had just been about to leave the small, grimy bathroom with acceptably clean hands, when he'd caught sight of the tiny, innocuous red dot on his wrist. Unbidden, a memory of an eleven year old with red hair and a confident smile being introduced to him flashed before his eyes. 

"William!" 

He blinked as though waking from a deep sleep and turned to see Helen Cordell watching him from the doorway. Given that she'd had the good sense to remain behind the wall of officers when Victoria slumped to the ground, the DA's suit was still pristine and blood free. 

"William, are you ok? You don't look so good," she commented, looking him up and down and frowning. 

He saw Helen step forward uncertainly as he felt the ground move beneath him and currents of pain shoot through his chest. 

"William!"

Her panicked cry was the last thing he heard as he was plunged head first into darkness. 

**************************

"Goddamit dad!"

Talia threw her phone onto the table and continued pacing the length of Peter's room. She'd been here for over 9 hours and still no word from her father. Where the hell was he?! She'd tried for hours to get a hold of someone - her father, David, Laura, even Cora, but no one picked up, and she was at a loss as to what to do.

Peter stirred behind her, whining in his sleep, and she quickly moved to his side, holding his hand tightly. Unbelievably, ever since he'd awoken, her presence had been the only thing that calmed him; she'd made the mistake of trying to leave earlier only to have Peter cling to her tightly and sob like a child. The entire situation confused and tired her, and she had no idea what she was doing; they may be blood, but it had been a long time since she and Peter had been family.

Peter mumbled something in his sleep and she was reminded of the one good thing to have emerged from this disastrous day; Peter's speech had returned to normal. When he'd awoken earlier and his speech had been garbled, she honestly didn't know who had been more horrified, Peter or herself; of all the weapons her brother wielded, his tongue was the most dangerous, and the idea that such a precious weapon had been removed from his arsenal was oddly disquieting. Even if she was the one who so often fell victim to its sharp edge. Peter rolled over onto his side and curled into her, pulling her hand to his chest and quietly mumbling one word over and over again; "mom". 

 

****************************

Kate sat up and leaned forward a little, wincing in pain, but determined to understand what the hell was going on. An hour ago, she and her father had been talking awkwardly about the track marks that littered her forearms, when she saw his eyes widen and his skin go ghostly white. He'd hastily reached for the tv remote sat on the small side table and switched the small wall mounted off before she'd even got a chance to see what had spooked him so much. When she'd asked him that very question, he'd stared at her blankly for a moment before making up some bullshit about her mother's suspended campaign. That he was lying had been clear, but unwilling to break their tentative peace, she'd let the matter drop. Until the police officers arrived. Solemn faced and carrying with them an air of regret, they'd knocked politely on the hospital door and asked to speak with her father. Alone. 

Her father had appeared unsurprised at their arrival and had embraced her tightly before wheeling himself out of the room. Ten minutes. The officers had been speaking with her father for ten minutes, and with each minute that passed she felt her anxiety increasing. What if it was her grandfather? What if someone had hurt him in prison? Oh god, what if he was seriously hurt? Heart pounding, she thought of the last time she'd seen him, in the small visitor's room where he'd been shackled and bound like a dog. He'd been so disappointed in her, my god...she'd let him down so badly, and what if that was the last time...

Scrunching her eyes shut, she tried to remember happier times, but found herself repeatedly flashing back to the memory of his disappointed face looming above her as her cheek tingled and heated in pain. No. No, that couldn't be the last time. No. 

"DAD! DAD! WHAT'S WRONG? DAD!" she screamed, gesticulating wildly when the police officers peered at her through the room window. The men appeared uneasy and she saw one of them say something to her father before they both disappeared. The room to her door was slowly pushed open a few minutes later. The sight of her father's red rimmed eyes made something dark unfurl inside her. No. Not him. No. 

"D-dad..." 

It was then that she noticed the photograph resting in his lap. An 8 year old version of Kate, arms circled around her father and shoulders draped with a bed sheet, smiled widely at her - except...why was the little girl's face red? Kate frowned. She didn't recall having painted her face red that summer...why was-

"Kate," she recoiled at the grief she heard in his voice, but he didn't stop. Why did no one ever stop. Even when she cried or screamed...no one stopped. 

"I-it's Victoria..." 

See, a long forgotten voice whispered, they never stop. Don't scream. Don't cry. Because they won't stop.

 

***************************

Jennifer Blake listened to the news with one ear, and with the other, listened to her wife's enraged screams. BNC had been airing the segment over and over again, only cutting away to discuss the 'shocking tragedy' with a bunch of over paid, moronic, pompous talking heads. Shocking. Devastating. Horrific. Over and over again until a red alert banner popped up in the top left of the screen advising viewers to be aware that the images that they were about to be shown were 'gruesome'. 

Massaging the knotted muscles at the nape of her neck, she slipped out of her five inch heels and attempted to sit down in her skin tight, black gown. Kali may enjoy seeing her dressed like this but it always irritated her. Oh well, what an alpha wants, an alpha gets. That lesson had been drummed into her by hands much rougher than the ones now settling on her bare shoulders. 

"I'm sorry, love...they have the shares," her wife apologised, leaning down to kiss her neck, lips lingering, as they always did, at her pulse point. Ignoring the lips trailing down to her bare shoulder, she watched as BNC showed image after image of a blood drenched room, the naked pixilated body of a dead man providing just the right amount of titillation. 

"They have the serum," she stated, and the lips mouthing at her throat froze. A huff of hot breath against her skin and then Kali was moving away, shrugging into her leather jacket and texting for a car. 

"I have to go. Will you wait for me, love?" 

Jennifer stood up and pressed her body tightly against the alpha in front of her. Kali wrapped her hands around her waist and pulled her in tighter before lowering her right hand to trail down her ass, fingers caressing gently, lower and lower, until they found their way to her heated core. Kali's fingers pressed against the soft silk of her gown and Jennifer felt the fabric move deliciously against her. 

"I'm yours, Alpha. I will always wait," she sighed against Kali's lips. The alpha grabbed a fistful of her dark hair and yanked her head back before licking into her mouth possessively.

"Good girl," whispered Kali before sealing their mouths together one last time. Jennifer watched her wife leave the compound with a dozen armed men trailing along behind her. 

Her phone lit up beside her and she frowned when she saw the unregistered number. Nobody had this number. She swiped to open the message and froze when she read its contents. 

' Ya vyhrav, koxàna' 

Enraged, she threw the phone at the baroque mirror fixed to the wall and watched the glass shatter into a million pieces. 

 

**************************

Erica, this time donning a short, punky, pale pink wig, with black lipstick painting her lips and about 8 different facial piercings, stood across the street from the mansion and pretended to study the map unfolded infront of her. A few passersby glanced at her nervously but she merely smiled and began babbling in German, pointing at the map before shrugging her shoulders in confusion. As expected, every single one promptly disappeared, apologising and waving her away. Finally, the balding, fifty-ish butler rounded the corner and she adopted her most 'I'm innocent but not that innocent' expression. The beta noticed her almost immediately and she watched his eyes move from the hair to the crop top that exposed her navel ring, to the booty shorts that cupped her ass just right. 

Seriously, people were always bitching about computer hacking and invasion of privacy -yada, yada, yada - but honestly, it was this - hacking people, that was so fucking easy it was embarrassing. For them of course. She was merely the magnificent trojan horse that fucked them up. 

"Hello, are you ok there?," he asked moving into her space and glancing once more at the stomach piercing. 

Smiling widely, she clutched onto his arm and laughed in relief. "Oh thank god! Finally, a decent human being," she teased with a thick London accent. He patted her hand and gave her an aww shucks look, the twat. 

"Actually, would you happen to know where 1770 Rochemont is?" 

He looked surprised for a moment before laughingly telling her that he worked at the residence. She smiled and told him she was hoping to get in touch with an old friend of her mother's. Dorothy Burke. Do you know her? Oh bloody great! Would you mind if I...? Oh I can wait inside? Such a gentleman. Aunt Dot is gonna be chuffed to see me. 

Social hacking. So easy it was kind of boring. 

 

 

TBC .....


	54. Chapter 54

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter wakes up a different man, and he and Talia talk. Meanwhile, Derek meets someone new....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, apologies for the late update but RL has been hectic. I hope you enjoy the chapter and thank you so much for your amazing comments, your much appreciated kudos, and your ongoing support. 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. 
> 
> Happy reading folks :-)

Five days later: 

 

"I'm fine." 

"You cannot possibly know that Mr. Hale. Mr. Ha-Peter, really, I must insi-" 

Peter picked up his cell phone from the small side table and walked out of the room, ignoring the indignant, squawking Doctor trailing behind him. As they rounded a corner, he saw Melissa walking towards him with a furrowed brow and shook his head to stop her saying anything. He recognised the determination in her eyes but he would not stop, not even for her. Nonetheless, they had been friends for a long time and he didn't want to say anything that would damage that friendship. 

He saw irritation flash across her face as he brushed past her but felt a calm settle over him as the beta fell into step beside him. She knew him well enough to not break the tense silence that fell over them and Peter reminded himself to be thankful for having someone in his life who understood him so well. 

"Where is he?," he asked in a clipped tone as they neared the bank of elevators. Melissa said nothing for a moment and he knew, because he knew his friend just as well as she knew him, that she was waiting for him to look at her. But he couldn't. Not now, not when his mask was gone, leaving him exposed. Naked.

"Melissa." His tone left no room for argument and he heard her sigh wearily before he felt a gentle touch to his shoulder. He flinched at the contact and she stepped back. 

"He's on the 8th floor - the oncology ward," she told him quietly. He pulled the thin hospital robe around him tightly as they waited for the elevator in silence. "Peter, please, let me-" 

He shook his head again and she stopped, as he knew she would.

 

**************************

The two nurses had been gossiping just outside the door for almost twenty minutes before she finally snapped. Both women froze when she flung open the door and strode out of the room to stand before then with a furious expression on her face. 

"Mrs. Hale? Everyt-" 

"How dare you?!," she interrupted, contempt dripping from every word. "You think what happened is entertainment?!! A woman died, a young girl lost her mother, and a man lost his wife, yet here you are gleefully discussing it as though it's a goddamn soap opera! What the hell is wrong with you people?!? A good - a good woman died and you-you FUCKING PEOPLE THINK IT'S A JOKE?!?! YOU THINK THIS IS FUCKING FUNNY?! HOW DARE YO-"

Peter appeared before as though by magic and took a hold of the hand she'd been jabbing in the nurse's direction. 

"Talia. Enough." 

The nurses standing behind Peter stared at her in shock and she realised suddenly that she'd been screaming. Sweeping her gaze around the busy hallway, she found herself the subject of excited curiosity and flinched when she saw a flash go off somewhere in the distance. Peter quickly turned his back to her and shielded her with his body. 

"I apologise for my sister's behaviour, ladies. She's been under a great deal of pressure having to care for both me and our father. I'm sure you understand," she heard him say to the gossiping nurses, charming as always. She heard the women make a few sympathetic noises before Peter turned back to her and shuffled her into their father's hospital room. She left Peter to shut and lock the door behind them and walked over to the small table that sat by the equally small sofa.

It took her five minutes of rummaging around in the Birkin bag that sat atop the table to find the small, creased cardboard packet and lighter. Desperate to settle the nerves that shot through her body like live wire, she quickly extracted a slightly worse for wear cigarette and lit the tip. The first delicious taste of nicotine caused a small smile to twist itself across her weary face, and she collapsed onto the sofa behind her in relief. As the smoke snaked its way through her body, she rolled her tense shoulders and closed her eyes, trying valiantly to ignore Peter's narrowed gaze. 

"Stop it," she chided a few minutes later, inhaling another mouthful of pure bliss. "Your disapproving death glare is ruining my enjoyment of a perfectly good cigarette." 

She heard a chair being dragged across the floor and sensed his gaze leave her. 

"I didn't know you still smoked," he said, voice drifting from across the room. 

She sat up and massaged the back of her neck with her fingers, wincing when she felt a dull ache begin to bloom behind her eyes. It had been decades since she'd had a full blown migraine but she still recalled how they started and sighed heavily at the prospect of debilitating pain. She saw Peter shift in her peripheral vision, and turned to see him lean over their father and pull the stiff white hospital sheet up over his chest. 

"I didn't," she said, running her fingers over her scalp and applying pressure. She saw him raise his eyebrows questioningly and held the cigarette aloft in the air. "This, I mean. Up until three days ago I hadn't smoked a cigarette in over 17 years, but then -," she paused and tried to block the images that flashed before her eyes, "but then there's nothing like death and destruction to ignite those old cravings," she finished with a morbid smile that was devoid of warmth.

Peter glanced at the TV fixed to the wall, where the midday news was being broadcast by an alpha whose lips engulfed almost the entire lower half of his face. Talia imagined Victoria's horrified expression and reached for the crumpled cigarette packet, her eye catching the corner of the cream envelope that protruded from the top of her bag. With trembling hands, she lit another cigarette and tried to forget the contents of the envelope. 

"I'm sorry about Victoria."

Talia felt tears sting her eyes and clenched her jaw. "Thank you." 

Silence settled over them and she sat quietly for an indeterminate period of time gazing out at the pale blue sky. 

"He should have told us," she said, breaking the silence and turning to look at her unconscious father, who lay in bed across the room looking aged and...soft. "He's known for weeks and he didn't tell us, and now the doctors tell me he might not wake up. It's terminal, did you know that? Weeks he's known and now? Now he might not wake up. No arguments, no admonitions, no resolutions, no - no forgiveness, nothing. He might just go and leave us in this mess, and I- I don't know what to do with that." She shook her head and turned her gaze on Peter. "You're looking better by the way. You look like you again. Good. He'll be pleased." 

Peter had his arms folded tightly across his chest and was watching her with a focus so intense she felt strangled by it. Feeling the dull ache begin to spread down to her jaw, she extinguished the cigarette beneath her shoe and pushed off the sofa. 

"I - uh, I-"

"What's happened? I mean, other than what I know...something's happened?," he interrupted, getting up from his seat and walking somewhat shakily towards her. 

Talia was shocked to see genuine concern in her brother's eyes and swallowed the emotion that threatened to consume her. As he neared, albeit with halting steps and a strained expression, she glanced down at her Birkin bag and saw the top edge of the damned envelope. 

"Have you spoken to Chris yet?," she asked and watched him freeze a few feet away. Peter stared at her quietly for a moment and then shook his head. 

"You should," she told him firmly, before grabbing her bag and extracting one of the two letters she'd received a few days ago and proffering it to him. Peter glanced down at her outstretched hand and frowned, his blue eyes clearly confused. 

"Tal-"

"Take it, Peter," she insisted, stepping forward and slapping the envelope to his robed chest. "Take it, and let one good fucking thing come from this chaos." 

He took the envelope and hesitantly opened it. She saw his eyes widen as he realised who it was from and tried not to think of Victoria's gruesome death as she spoke. 

"She was a good woman, Peter. I know you don't believe that...I know dad and lots of other people wouldn't either....but she was. She was my friend. She - we made a mistake. We made a lot of mistakes. An apology would feel cheap after so many years, but nonetheless, I need you to know that not a day has gone past in the last 20 years that I haven't thought of that night. We fucked up, Peter, and cheap though it may be...know that I - I am sorry." 

She found herself unable to look at him any longer and walked past him to the door. He didn't stop her and she didn't look back. 

***************************

Derek collapsed into the leather armchair by the fireplace and yawned loudly. It had been an insane week and he could feel the exhaustion deep in his bones, sleep already calling to him like a siren song. Sitting up, he rested his elbows on his knees, hung his head, and willed his eyes to stay open. He had another long day of hospital runs ahead of him and right now sleep was not an option, no matter how heavy his eyelids felt. Shaking his head, he straightened, and had just reached for his cell phone when he caught sight of a man standing quietly by the windows across the room. He froze for all of 3 seconds before his fight or flight response kicked in and pushed him to his feet. 

He grabbed an iron poker from beside the fireplace and moved forward menacingly, his exhaustion only adding fuel to his anger. The man appeared unruffled by the pissed off alpha advancing upon him and rolled his eyes with a nonchalance that enraged Derek. His family had gone through hell and back these past few weeks and, frankly, he was tired of the world in general.

"Down Kujo. Bad boy, check your phone," said the blonde haired man calmly when Derek grabbed him by the collar and slammed him up against the glass. 

He frowned at the man - no, not man, Derek corrected - now that he was closer he could see that the guy was a lot younger than he'd thought, no more than eighteen at best. The boy glanced pointedly at his pocket and raised his eyebrows. 

"Sometime today, Kujo, I do have other shit to do," said the boy in a bored tone of voice. 

Derek's frown deepened at the boy's unaffected behaviour but sensing no threat from the boy, he dropped the poker and reached into his pocket for his phone. He saw a message from an unfamiliar number and swiped to open it. The text read 'Info on Burke should be with you today. Expect a cocky, curly haired blonde wearing a shitty, unfunny tshirt. XXX The Blonde Job'. 

Derek's gaze moved from the boy's blonde hair to the navy tshirt he wore depicting an embarrassed chicken and an annoyed, anthropomorphised egg wearing heels and a negligee, with the words 'who came first?' printed underneath. He looked closer to see that a small speech bubble had been drawn by the egg's mouth and contained the words 'take a clucking guess!'. Sighing, he released his hold on the boy and stepped back. 

"You people really need to stop breaking into my home," he said, feeling the rush of adrenaline subside and the exhaustion return with a vengence. The boy snorted in response and straightened his tshirt before looking at him with a smirk on his face. 

"Technically, Kujo, it's not your house, it's your grandfather's."

"Why the hell are you here?," he practically growled, already tired of this game. The boy rolled his eyes again and bent down to extract a manila folder from a black messenger bag that rested on the floor by his feet. 

"To give you this," he said, handing him the file and leaning back against the glass panes of the window. Derek opened the file to see a picture of an attractive brunette omega with grey eyes and a wide smile. She didn't look familiar to him but as he read the brief outline of her horrific history, he vaguely recalled Peter mentioning the case some years ago at a tension laced family dinner. 

"Predictably, it's all about the money," said the boy, breaking the spell Diana's history had cast over him. He glanced at the boy, with his curly hair and blue eyes and - what was that? - Derek discreetly sniffed the air and caught the scent of...sweet almonds? The boy's lips thinned and those blue eyes turned dark. Derek quickly looked away and tried to ignore the overpowering scent of an omega in the initial stages of heat. What the hell had Erica been thinking sending this boy to him in this condition?! What if someth- wait.

"Is this a fucking test?!" he spat, moving forward again and feeling the heat of anger warm his blood. 

The blonde shrugged and walked past him to sit down on the sofa behind him. 

"If it was, you passed. Mazel tov," the boy mocked, resting his head against the back of the sofa and lifting his feet to rest them against the edge of the coffee table. Derek glared at the brat and shook in head in disgust. 

"What a fucking stupid thing to do! Anything could hav-"

"No. It couldn't. You may bark like a dog, Kujo, but I bite like one. Trust me, I can take care of myself," he said, glancing at him with an arched brow and an cold smile. 

Derek looked at him assessingly for a moment but said nothing, choosing instead to return his attention to the file. He sat back down in the leather armchair and quietly read through each page of the file. When he finished, he scrubbed a hand across his face and exhaled loudly. 

"Shit," he whispered, unable to believe what he'd just read. 

"Yeah, tragic - but annoyingly commonplace. So, Kujo, you gonna leave that girl to rot or are you gonna help her get away from that evil bitch of a mother?"

Derek stared at the picture of Diana for a quiet moment before reaching for his cell phone and scrolling through the contacts list. Time to put his obscene amounts of money to good use. He saw the blonde smile and close his eyes just as as his call was answered. 

"Hello, this is Chandler, Cohen, & Massey, how may I help you?"

"The name's Isaac. Just in case you were wondering," muttered the boy a few minutes later, eyes still closed, as Derek waited to be connected to the family's lawyer. 

 

TBC....


	55. Chapter 55

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles makes a decision about his future and Peter discusses the letter with Chris.....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, an earlier update than I'd anticipated but I found myself with time to spare, so please enjoy! As always, thank you so, so much for your incredible comments and the kudos! Apologies for not responding to your comments but life has been crazy busy. I will try, however, to respond to your insightful, awesome comments as soon as I can! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine . Happy reading folks :-)

The room was packed with people of all ages, shapes, sizes, and orientations, and Stiles had to confess that he felt a little overwhelmed. Scott nudged his arm and asked if he was ok, and fixed on him with those annoyingly effective puppy dog eyes. Stiles snorted and shook his head as he felt his nerves calm a little in the face of such dorkiness. 

"How do you do that?"

"Years of practice, dude. I mean, have you met my mom? I needed something that would melt that stone heart of hers," replied Scott, grinning widely and taking another huge bite out of his weird Nutella pretzel thing. A dollop of gooey chocolate spread plopped onto his wrist and Stiles had the unfortunate 'pleasure' of watching the beta lick his wrist clean with a mouth already full of mushy, brown mess. 

"Ugh, that's fucking disgusting, Scott," he said, grimacing as Scott took yet another huge bite of the pretzel. "God, you're just as bad as Cam." 

"Oohyemecarlicanybrs," mumbled Scott around a mouthful of doughy pretzel. A loud ding drew his attention to the screen affixed to the wall and he broke out in a sweat as he saw that number 46 would be seen next. Holy shit. Holy fucking shit- that was him. Before he could panic anymore than he already was, he heard Scott fart loudly beside him and almost gagged at the smell. 

"Scott! What the fuck?! It smells like something died!," he rebuked in a sibilant whisper, hoping to avoid attracting any attention. 

A group of older women standing nearby all covered their mouths at the same time and threw him a dirty look. Stiles glared at the unashamed beta sat beside him and pulled the neck of his shirt up over his mouth and nose. Scott shrugged and crumpled the greasy, chocolate stained napkin in his hand. 

"The human body is a beautiful thing, dude, relax. Anyway, I was saying, me and Cam are total Candy Bros. Kid can sure pack it away for somebody who weighs as much as my leg. One Halloween, Peter took us all trick or treating and -"

"Number 46! Number 46, please make your way to the office," blared a distorted voice over the tannoy system. Stiles hastily gathered the few documents he had and got to his feet, pulse racing and sweat already dripping down his back. 

"Hey? Stiles? Stiles?" 

He blinked and turned back to see Scott holding out the annotated course catalogue he'd brought with him. The beta clapped him on the shoulder and smiled encouragingly. 

"You'll do great, man. Just breathe. It's a quick interview and you're you - no way you don't get it. Right?," he asked, eyebrows raised and puppy dog eyes at full power. 

Stiles nodded, slightly dazed, and mumbled a quick thank you to the beta for accompanying him to the college. Community college granted, but it was still somewhere he had never imagined himself to be a year ago. Scott smiled, again (the weirdo), and then suddenly he found himself sat in front of a stern looking woman with dark blonde hair knotted into a bun and brown eyes framed by fashionable square edged glasses. The scuffed nameplate that sat on the edge of the desk gave her name as Ms. K. Bellamy, Admissions Officer. 

"So, Mr. Stilinski, tell me, why do you wish to resume your studies? I see from your file that you haven't attended any sort of educational establishment in over 3 years, so why now?," she asked, sorting through the thin file Scott and Dr. McCall had helped him compile over the last few days. 

Stiles rolled and unrolled the course catalogue in his hands and tried to come up with something clever and memorable to say. Instead, all he could think of was that bitch Dorothy Burke and her pet dickhead of an alpha. 

"Because street smarts can only get you so far in life," he said honestly. The shuffling of paper stopped and he looked up to see the beta watching him with interest. 

"And what exactly do you hope to accomplish by enrolling with us? Other than book smarts of course," she asked, resting her forearms on the top of her desk and absently clicking the top of the pen in her right hand. Stiles thought of his father and of the road that had led him to this interview, and met the beta's curious gaze head on. 

"I hope to receive an education that will prepare me to deal with the shit show that is being an omega. Knowledge is a powerful thing and that power is only compounded when it's surrounded by ignorance and fear. I don't want to be ignorant anymore, Ms. Bellamy, and I sure as shit don't want to be afraid for the rest of my life." 

The beta held his gaze for another thirty seconds before nodding and returning to her perusal of his file. Ten awkward, not to mention silent, minutes later, Ms. Bellamy closed his file and handed him a stack of paperwork. Stiles glanced down at the bundle of papers and frowned. 

"I don-"

"These are the admissions forms you will need to complete before we can enrol you as a student. I can see from your file that you turned 17 a few days ago, but we'll still need a valid ID or a copy of a birth certificate to verify age and identity - it's standard procedure, so don't worry. Tuition fees can either be paid in full today or you can speak to the finance officer about a payment plan. You will need to have your classes selected by the end of the week at the latest, but I would advise you choose quickly as the classes tend to fi-" 

"Wait, wait, wait" he interjected, heart jackhammering inside his chest. "I-I'm in?," he asked, knowing the words were filled with disbelief. 

Ms. Bellamy pushed up her glasses and smiled. "You're in, Mr. Stilinski, welcome to Beacon Tech."

***************************

Peter stood hesitantly outside the room and watched quietly as Chris struggled to take a step with his newly acquired prosthetic. The physio had a strong arm circled around Chris' waist, and encouraged the alpha to push through the discomfort and take another trembling step. The fluorescent lights overhead painted Chris in a harsh light and aged him far beyond his years; it was a stark reminder of how much time they had lost, how much of their lives had been stolen from them by a cruel old man and a misguided, desperate girl. 

He is not blameless, the cold voice of his 17 year old self whispered to him, don't be too forgiving. The memory of an enraged 21 year old Chris looking at him with disgust in his eyes as he called him 'a filthy fucking trou' before walking away from him, flashed before his eyes. You're right, he told the ghost of his 17 year old self, he isn't blameless; he may have been led to the poisoned well by his scheming, sonofabitch father, but the choice to drink its fetid waters had been Chris'. 

"GODDAMMIT!" 

The shouted curse was followed by the sound of something solid hitting the wall, and Peter took a small step into the room to see Chris on the floor, his face puce with anger. The prosthetic lay a few feet away on the floor by the far wall. The physio stood at a safe distance from the pissed off alpha and crossed his arms over his chest. 

"Chris, get up," instructed the physio, pointing to the two balancing bars positioned either side of the alpha. Chris ignored the instruction and continued to glare at the discarded prosthetic in silence. The physio sighed wearily and turned to leave the room but paused as he caught sight of him by the door. 

"Can I help you, Sir? Are you lost?," asked the physio in an annoyingly gentle voice, making Peter frown. 

"No, I'm not lost. I need to speak with Mr. Argent. Could you please excuse us?," he asked, making it clear in his intonation that it was not a request. The physio opened his mouth, no doubt to protest, but was silenced by Chris' quiet voice telling him to leave. Now. The authority in the alpha's voice sent shivers down Peter's spine and he found himself turning his back on Chris as the irate physio left the room.

"Did you come to feast on my misery, Pete?" 

He heard a pained grunt and turned to see Chris pulling himself up by his arms to sit in a cushioned chair that had been placed at the end of his mock 'runway'. Sweat dripped down the alpha's face and he saw him grimace in pain as he massaged his severed limb.

"N-no. I -," he paused, took a deep breath and tried to articulate his scrambled thoughts. 

"I'm sorry about Victoria. How are you?" 

Chris stared at him in open mouthed shock and Peter could see the pained confusion clearly in those pale blue eyes. 

"Why are you here, Peter? Please, I can't do this - why?," he asked, his voice hoarse and his eyes becoming glassy with tears. 

Peter removed the letter from his pocket and walked across the room to drop it into Chris' lap. 

"Read it. I need you to read it and tell me how much of it is true," he told him, turning away to give the man a modicum of privacy. He heard a sharp intake of breath followed by a choked sob but didn't turn back until he heard Chris call his name. 

"Where did you get this?," he whispered keeping his head bowed and resting a hand over his temple to hide his face. 

Peter felt a long repressed affection surge through him and moved forward to kneel at the alpha's feet. He moved Chris' hand away from his temple and tilted the man's face up so that he could look him in the eye. Those mesmerising blue eyes looked worn and broken but he needed an answer. This man owed him an answer. 

"Is it true, Chris?"

Chris clenched his jaw and nodded, and Peter felt rage rip through him, shredding away at the last vestiges of peace he had left. He quickly straightened and tried to move away from the alpha, only for Chris to wrap his strong, callused hand around his wrist and yank him back with a strength he hadn't anticipated. Peter fell to his knees by Chris' chair but quickly lashed out by hitting the bastard on his flank with a closed fist. Chris huffed out a pained breath and released his hold on Peter's wrist. Both men glared at each other angrily until he decided he'd had fucking enough and got to his feet, fully intending to walk away. Fuck! He hated how this man made him feel. 

"Peter, please...I'm sorry." 

Peter halted mid step but didn't turn back. 

"You called me a ' filthy fucking trou', Chris...I begged you to believe me, to have enough faith in what we had to know that I would never - I would never have let someone other than you touch me. You believed the bullshit story your father and fucking ex girlfriend hissed into your ear, and you left me...in that room full of assholes who looked at me as though I was nothing, you left me. I was alone and you didn't give a shit...not even when your sick fuck of a father threatened to drug me and leave me in a room full of alpha's for having the audacity to go near his precious son. You left me, and now I receive a letter from your dead wife asking me to forgive you - 20 years, Chris...where the fuck do I even start?" Peter shook his head as he finished speaking, devastated at the recollection of that night and incredulous at Victoria's last request.

"I should have believed in you - in us. I'm sorry, Peter...I was weak, and jealous, and fucking stupid...I'm so sorry for letting you down when you needed me the most...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, what can I - I don't know how to make this better...," the alpha trailed off, sounding exhausted and hopeless. 

Peter turned around to face Chris and found the man rereading the crumpled letter.

"What's in her safe, Chris?," he asked, referring to the part of the letter that instructed him to go to the safe in Victoria's office. Chris sighed deeply before he answered, and suddenly Peter wasn't certain that he wanted to know the answer. 

"A sex tape of your first mated heat." 

It was as though Chris had reached into his chest and ripped out his lungs. 

"W-what?," he choked out, unwilling to believe what he'd been told. No. It couldn't be true. His first heat with Chris had been...savage. Primal. How could he do this? No. NO. Peter had trusted him, and Chris had....

A fury unlike anything he'd ever experienced blinded him to everything but the alpha sat before him. Peter snarled and rushed forward to grab the alpha by his collar and slam him to the ground. He leaned over Chris and heaved him off the ground forcefully before slamming him back onto the tiled floor. 

"YOU FUCKING FILMED US?!? I TRUSTED YOU, YOU SONOFABITCH! HOW COUL-"

Chris slammed the heel of his palm up against his chin and Peter reeled back as pain rippled through his jaw and neck. As he lay sprawled on the ground, he saw Chris reach for a steel walking stick laying on the ground undeneath the chair, and shakily stand up, leaning heavily on both the walking stick and one of the balancing bars. 

"I didn't," huffed Chris, his breathing laboured and his arms trembling. "Peter, listen to me - I would never violate you in such a disgusting way. It was my father - somehow he and Victoria secretly filmed us while...it's why I couldn't come to you...not even after I found out what they'd done. They would have released the tape, Pete...and I wouldn't - I couldn't let that happen. Please believe me," he begged, "I would never."

Peter wiped the blood trickling down his chin from his split lip and pushed off the ground before quickly walking out of the room. He could hear Chris calling his name but didn't stop. Images of that insatiable, lust filled weekend flashed before his eyes over and over again, each image more vivid and graphic than the last, but he waited until he was safely behind the locked door of his hospital room to collapse and fall to pieces. 

 

 

TBC......

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I haven't gone into too much detail re Chris and Peter's fallout as that feels like a whole different story - a really angsty, long story that I might write as a separate, accompanying piece later on. What do you think? I'd be interested to know your thoughts, so feel free to comment :-)


	56. Chapter 56

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Derek says goodbye to a friend, Stiles is surprised, and Deucalion's plans finally come to fruition...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the stupidly lengthy delay in updating this fic - we've been dealing with a lot of construction after the fire so that trumped writing I'm afraid. For those of you still interested, I hope you enjoy the new chapter. Also, rest assured I am not abandoning this fic - I fully intend to finish it...it might just take a while. Your patience is appreciated readers!
> 
> Thank you for the kudos and awesome comments - which I do read and do intend on responding to when I can :-) - so please keep writing to me so to speak, it's great reading your thoughts on and critiques of the fic!
> 
> WARNING - there is a rape scene at the end of this chapter so if it's an issue please skip. Many thanks!
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

The Priest appeared truly afflicted by a deep grief as he spoke about a girl he had never met. He spoke of a young life taken too early but preached of the wisdom of God in taking a soul that was too perfect to be sullied by the evils of this world. He turned sympathetic eyes to the grieving mother, clothed in black and bound to a wheelchair, a mother too lost in her own mind to understand the tragedy of the scene before her, and spoke of the young girl attaining eternal peace. He spoke of grief and loss and acceptance, and Derek reigned in the urge to tell the man to shut the fuck up. 

As grey clouds gathered overhead, Alice's coffin was lowered into the ground and Derek stepped forward to push Alice's wheelchair bound mother toward the grave. Crouching down beside the beta, he threw a handful of dirt onto the rosewood coffin and watched quietly as the dirt scattered over the gleaming wood. I'm so sorry, he told the girl he'd let down, I should've been there at the end. 

"Mr. Hale?" 

Discreetly, he wiped the tears from his eyes and stood to face the only other person who had attended the burial other than Alice's mother and himself. The concierge from the hotel, Benjamin Moreno, stepped forward and extended his hand. Derek shook the man's hand and for lack of anything better to say, thanked him for coming. 

"Thank you, Mr. Hale," he said, shaking his head and sweeping his gaze across the deserted graveyard, "you did a good thing here today." 

He began to deny what the man was implying only to have Benjamin Moreno cut off any protestations he might have made with a wave of his hand. 

"I will be the soul of discretion if that's how you wish it to be, Mr. Hale, but atleast allow me to thank you. I didn't know Alice for very long, but I know she was a good girl with a big heart. Thank you for giving her the burial she deserved." 

The man patted him on the shoulder and smiled sadly before walking away, leaving Derek alone by the grave of the girl he'd failed to protect with a mother too damaged to understand what she'd lost. 

 

**************************

Stiles scrubbed a hand through his hair and tossed his pen across the table. It had been three days since his interview with Beacon Tech and two days since he'd received his official 'welcome packet' from the college which contained a complete list of the classes available to him, in addition to a breakdown of costs, schedules, class capacities etc. To say he was overwhelmed was an understatement. Fuck, he really needed a break.

"Stiles?" 

He looked up from the paperwork strewn haphazardly across the table to see one of the Centre's nurses standing in the doorway. 

"Hey, Kiran," he greeted the smiling nurse, "did you need me?" 

The curly haired beta glanced at the messy table and put on an apologetic expression. "Uh, yes actually - if you're not too busy, would you mind heading down to the cafeteria? One of the patients has slipped pretty badly and we need someone to help-"

Stiles immediately rose from his seat and nodded, already walking towards the library doors. Kiran looked unreasonably relieved by his easy acceptance of the request but he put it out of his mind as he headed towards the cafeteria. Five minutes later he found himself standing in the middle of a dark, empty cafeteria and frowned. What the fuck was going o-

Light suddenly flooded the room, almost blinding him, and he flinched as the silence was broken by what he could only assume was a dying cat. 

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR STILES, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" 

He blinked. And blinked again. Scott stood before him with a wide grin and a chocolate cake with the words 'Happy 17th Stiles' scrawled across it in crudely piped pink frosting. Dr. McCall stood behind Scott holding a wrapped package, smile just as wide as her son's, and Stiles stared at them both blankly. It had been a long time since he'd celebrated his birthday and he had no idea how he felt about the impromptu party. He saw Scott's smile dim as he continued to stare at the beta in silence. 

"Uh, Happy Birthday, dude," said Scott uncertainly, glancing back at his mother while at the same time proffering the cake. 

"Did you make that?," he asked, voice absent of any distinguishable intonation, as he pointed to the lopsided cake. 

Scott's answering flush matched the colour of the piped frosting and Stiles saw Dr. McCall smile fondly at her son.

"He did, with just a little help from Betty Crocker," said Dr. McCall, laughing and stepping around her son to hand him the wrapped package. "Happy Birthday, Stiles." 

A memory of his father handing him a gift wrapped in dinosaur wrapping paper flashed before his eyes as he accepted the gift with shaky hands. He felt a tightness across his chest but swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up at Dr. McCall. 

"T-Thanks, b-both of you...thank you," he managed to get out before feeling the tightness across his chest tighten further. 

Scott beamed at him and ushered him towards a table that he hadn't noticed before. One of the cafeteria tables had been covered with a blue table cloth and was heaped with balloons and food; he saw pizzas, chips, dips, and an array of colourful soda cans. Scott sat the lopsided cake down infront of him, placed a candle in the middle of it, and handed him a knife. Dr. McCall lit the candle and Scott nudged him in the arm, head bobbing down at the cake. 

"Go on, dude, make a wish." 

Stiles stared down at the flickering flame of the candle for a few moments before blowing it out, plastering a smile on his face as Scott cheered like a 5 year old beside him. 

"What d'you wish for?," asked Scott once the cake had been cut and he'd devoured 3 slices. Stiles shovelled a spoonful of cake into his mouth and shrugged in lieu of answering, much to Scott's amusement. 

"Didn't take you for the superstitious type, too-doo-too-doo" he mocked, grinning and wiggling his chocolate stained fingers. Dr. McCall whacked him around the head with a party themed paper plate and rolled her eyes as Scott burst out laughing. 

As he watched mother and son laughing amidst a backdrop of birthday cake and balloons, he mentally repeated his wish. 

Please let this be real. Please let this last. 

 

*************************

Deucalion watched the girl scream and cry through the glass and sighed, already tired of the theatrics. As his men strapped her down to the bed in the middle of the room, the girl caught sight of him at the window and arched against the restraints. 

"HELP ME! PLEASE! I'M SORRY, PLEASE, I WON'T BE BAD AGAIN - I-I'M S-SORRY... P-PLEASE...LET ME G-GO," she pleaded, screaming at him through the glass, her voice breaking at the end. 

Deucalion tilted his head and swept his gaze down the omega's naked body; pale skinned and slender, with long, thick, blonde hair, and large breasts, she was a sight to behold. He'd never met her before, had never laid eyes on her before today, but according to Ennis she'd been sold to them by an irate brothel owner who'd found her recalcitrance tiresome. The girl railed at her captors and he laughed when she spat at one of his men. The strong willed were always the most entertaining to break. 

The door behind him opened and he glanced over his shoulder to see Ennis enter the room with a thunderous expression on his face. 

"What is it?," he asked sharply. 

"The police officer is becoming a problem, Sir. I would suggest terminating our relationship with him." 

He pondered the suggestion and nodded in agreement; Scott Murphy had served his purpose. 

"Fine, but be very careful, Ronan MacKenna's in town and he's itching to play. Are you still watching him?"

Ennis nodded and handed him a tablet that showed a live video feed of a hotel room. Ronan MacKenna appeared in frame, bare chested with only a towel slung around his distractingly sculpted waist. Deucalion smirked as the man discarded the towel and bent over the bed to reach for his pants. The man really was wasted at Interpol, he thought, as MacKenna shimmied into well tailored pants that encased his ass perfectly. Handing the tablet back to Ennis, he turned back to the window into the observation room and saw that Dr. Lange had finally turned up. 

He pressed the intercom button and gave the go ahead. As the Doctor filled the syringe with the amber coloured serum, he instructed Ennis to make the call. The call was picked up after only the second ring and Deucalion smiled as Alexandr's face appeared on the screen of the tablet.

"So?"

Alexandr had always been an impatient man, but the abrupt tone needled him nonetheless; he'd worked hard to get what they needed, a little appreciation would not go amiss.  
Dr. Lange injected the omega with the serum and he directed Ennis to stand by the window so Alexandr could watch the results himself.

"This is the first test on a live subject, barring Gérard's little adventure with Peter Hale of course. We've been toying with the dosage to shorten the length of time it takes to induce a change but I don't anticipate any problems. Gérard Argent may have been a sonofabitch, but he was a smart sonofabitch; his work was atleast a year ahead of our own and barring a few small changes, he'd perfected the serum," he told Alexandr as Dr. Lange injected the girl with a second dosage of the serum. 

"How long do you estimate it will ta-"

Alexandr was interrupted by Dr. Lange knocking on the glass and giving him a thumbs up. Deucalion pressed the intercom and heard the omega whine and moan loudly as she writhed on the bed and spread her legs. Deucalion glanced at the tablet and saw Alexandr fall back in shock. He heard the girl begging to be touched and commanded his men to wait twenty minutes. After seven minutes, the girl was sobbing and arching her hips, begging to be fucked. After twelve minutes, the girl was humping the air and tried to reach for one of the men's zippers, her body sweat slicked and flushed. After fifteen minutes, the girl was screaming to be fucked using the filthiest language he had ever heard even as she gnawed on the restraints around her arms. 

At twenty minutes Deucalion nodded and from behind the glass, he, Alexandr, and Ennis watched his men untie the omega and take her, one by one. The omega cried out in pleasure at each thrust, sobbed for more as she was pushed and pulled and used, screamed in ecstasy so many times that, after an hour, she finally blacked out. Deucalion left his men to it and gestured for Ennis to follow him out of the room into an adjoining office. He perched on the edge of the desk and crossed his legs at the ankles. Alexandr appeared somewhat shell shocked on the screen of the tablet and he had to bite down the urge to childishly tell the man 'I told you so'.

Many years ago when he had first suggested the idea of conducting research into the formulation of a drug that could induce heat, Alexandr had laughed at him. 'Heat drugs' - drugs that induced the physiological symptoms of an omega's heat - had been widely available since the 1950's, but they were far from perfect because while they could induce a pale imitation of a heat's physiological symptoms, they could not induce the psychological drive that truly underpinned an omega's heat. The pure abandon of a true heat where all an omega cared about was being fucked, where they would beg and plead for it, do anything to be filled - that had always been the ultimate goal, to induce a true heat. True heats meant total submission, absolute ownership of an omega in a way that the imitation heats could not compare to; a dose of his serum and an omega would beg to be allowed to fill every filthy fantasy his clients could possibly imagine. 

"Have you assessed the impact the serum has on the immune system?," asked Alexandr, drawing him from his thoughts. Deucalion smiled at the greed he saw in Alexandr's eyes. 

"This isn't like the old drugs, Alexandr, this induces a true heat. That means it doesn't weaken the immune system, it strengthens it. No more STD's or infections or diseases, as long as they're kept on the drug." 

Alexandr sat back in his chair and finally smiled. 

"Well done, my boy, well done."

 

TBC.........


	57. Chapter 57

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter gets a little peace, Talia and David talk, and Stiles meets someone unexpected...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, lovely readers, I hope you enjoy the new chapter - your comments and critiques are, as always, very much welcomed. I stupidly began a new fic, which is...ridiculous, but my plan is to switch up the updates so both stories progress at a decent pace. If any of you have read chapter 1 of my new fic and liked it, many thanks!
> 
> Thank you as always for your lovely comments and the kudos! 
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

The crowds gathered around the hospital had been growing steadily more aggressive ever since BHPD had officially declared Richard Carson's death a homicide two days ago. The right wing nuts with their home made placards and indignant rage had taken to harassing anyone who dare crossed their self constructed barrier with disgusting slurs and threats of violence, and Peter was fucking sick of it. 

Even the presence of well armed police officers did little to deter the escalating violence, with many of the Conservative Council of America's most ardent supporters jeering at the uniformed men and women, accusing them of 'being in on it with the trous'. Quite what 'it' was he didn't know, but whatever fantasy these lunatic's had conjured from their fevered omega dominated nightmares was enough to cause him alarm. Not because he was scared, but because the aggression he saw in the eyes of the men and women (and good god, children) chanting beyond the police barrier felt like a prelude to something much worse. It was the 'much worse' that made his stomach turn as he thought of the vulnerable omega's back at the Centre. What fucking ignorant, dangerous fools, he thought, as he spotted a middle aged man heave a young child onto his shoulders before handing him a placard depicting an omega in a collar sitting at the feet of a cartoonish alpha, who petted the omega like a dog. 

A knock at the door drew him from his worried thoughts and he turned away from the window, forced smile already in place. Chris stood at his door, crutches jammed beneath his arms and dark jeans concealing the prosthetic that Peter knew he must be wearing. He stopped smiling. The alpha looked better than the last time he'd seen him; the dark circles beneath his eyes had faded somewhat, and he wore a well fitted navy shirt that only served to draw attention to the man's lean frame. With measured steps, Chris walked over to the unmade hospital bed in the middle of the room and leaned against it before reaching behind him and dropping a manila envelope onto the nightstand. 

"I didn't say you could come in," he said, unable to tear his gaze from the innocent looking envelope resting on the cheap wooden stand.

"I don't recall asking."

And just like that, his attention snapped back to the stoic man perched on the bed. 

"Get out."

Chris took a deep breath and swept his gaze across the room. 

"No."

The arrogance of the man, the sheer fucking balls of this man to tell him no, made the anger that he thought he'd put to bed return with a vengence. He was not a 17 year old, doe eyed idiot anymore whose knees would weaken at the dominance of such a display of arrogance. He moved away from the window towards Chris, fully intending to throw the bastard out, when the alpha stood up suddenly, lurched forward, grabbed him by the collar and kissed him. He heard the crutches clatter to the floor as Chris cupped his face with both hands, the pads of his thumbs softly skimming his cheeks and his lips moving gently over Peter's. He told himself it was the shock that stopped him from pulling away. 

The kiss was chaste and could only have lasted a few seconds, but Peter felt alive in a way he hadn't in a long time, and he hated that this man still had the ability to make him feel this way. He pulled away roughly as soon as the kiss ended, only to have Chris hold onto his shoulders tightly.

"My crutches are on the floor, I'll fall if you let go, Peter. You gonna let me fall?," asked Chris quietly, intimately, and Peter hated him even more because they both knew he wouldn't let go. 

With the alpha's taste still on his lips, he shuffled him back until Chris was once again perched against the side of the bed. Chris' rough hands slid down his arms as he moved away and Peter felt his traitorous body ache with a long dormant need. 

"What the hell do you want, Christopher?," he spat in a voice far too hoarse as he collapsed onto a chair, unable to play the part of the cold, detached, unaffected omega any longer. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes and dropped his head back against the back of the chair.

"I got the tape. It's the only copy, I promise." Chris sighed wearily. "I'm sorry for walking away 20 years ago. I'm sorry that I caused you so much pain. And I'm sorry for kissing you just now, but I can't seem to stop loving you. Tell me how to stop, Pete, because if you don't...I don't think I'll stop until you forgive me." 

Peter felt tears fill his eyes but quickly blinked them away.

"What the hell makes you think I know anything about stopping myself from loving someone?," he sighed, rising from his seat and walking over to the nightstand to pick up the heavy envelope. He heard a sharp intake of breath behind him but refused to turn around. They had twenty years between them and he didn't know if such a vast distance could be crossed. Hell, he didn't know if he even wanted to try.

"You need to leave, Chris." 

Something in his voice must have finally reached the alpha, because he heard Chris' stilted footsteps retreating behind him.

"I'm not giving up. I can't. Not again," he heard behind him. 

When he finally turned around, he was relieved to find the alpha gone. Peter ripped open the envelope and removed the tape before smashing it on the ground again, and again, and again. Shards of black plastic scattered across the tiled floor and, for the first time in days, he felt some of the tension bowing his shoulders ease. 

*************************

"You look like you could use this."

Talia glanced down at the cup of coffee, and hesitated. David sighed and forcibly placed the hot cardboard cup between her cold hands before sitting down beside her. 

"You look tired. When was the last time you went home?," he asked, frowning and gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ears. 

She reveled in the tenderness of the touch for a moment, before pulling away and sitting back in the hard plastic chair of the hospital waiting room. She'd caught sight of her reflection in the mirror this morning, and given that she barely recognised herself, she was unsurprised that her husband looked at her with troubled eyes, but concern didn't mean he was no longer angry, she knew David well enough to know that. 

"We're talking now?," she asked genuinely, desperate almost, despite the childishness of the question. 

She focused her attention on the colourful mural painted on the opposite wall to keep herself from falling apart as the silence stretched on. The coffee cup was removed from her hands and achingly familiar hands pulled her up into a tight embrace. She felt David's lips at her temple and was unable to keep her tears at bay any longer. David held her even closer and soothed her until the tears dried up and she felt drained and empty. 

"He might die, David. He's so angry with me and he might -"

David pulled away a little and tilted her head up with a finger. Despite the anger, the hurtful words that had passed between them, and the lines that criss crossed his face, he was still the most beautiful man she'd ever known, and the idea of this man not loving her caused her physical pain. 

"William's a stubborn old goat," he told her, smiling softly and wiping away the tears that stained her cheeks, "he's not going anywhere. As for everything else...that's up to you, love. You - we - can't go on like this."  
Her heart pounded at his words and she fell into him, clinging to him tightly. David sighed quietly but held her close nonetheless. Dad, Peter, Victoria, Kate. He's right, she thought to herself as she laid her head against the broad expanse of his chest, we can't go on like this. 

**************************

 

The Ipad sat heavy in his newly purchased backpack as he made his way down the vegetable aisle. He'd promised Ada that he'd pick her up a few things from the grocery store on the way home from the Centre, but he found himself unable to concentrate, and cursed quietly when he realised he'd been bagging garlic bulbs for the last few minutes instead of apples. 

Scott and Mrs. McCall had looked almost offended when he'd insisted on returning the Ipad, but he had to admit, he was tempted to just slip it into Mrs. McCall's office anyway. A birthday gift was one thing - although he wasn't entirely comfortable with that either - but an expensive electronic device that probably cost more than a month's salary, that was a whole other matter. He liked the McCall's - despite Scott's incessant cheer and goofiness - but the familial intimacy of the entire surprise party had made his palms sweat, and he didn't want to delve into why.

Deciding to forget about the party earlier, he emptied the garlic bulbs back into the crate and began bagging the dozen or so apples Ada had requested he purchase for 'my delicious home made apple pie, secret family recipe, Stiles, you'll adore it!'. Tying a knot in the clear plastic bag, he turned around to dump them in the cart when he caught sight of a familiar face a few feet away. Derek fucking Hale, dressed in a black suit and tie and looking as though his puppy had just died, stood staring blankly at a large display of canned peaches half a dozen feet away. Stiles watched him for a moment, fingers tapping the handle of the cart as he tried to decide what to do. 

Goddamit. 

He walked up behind the alpha and tapped him lightly on the shoulder, quickly yanking his hand away when he realised his fingertips were lingering. Derek seemed to snap out of whatever trance he'd been under and turned around, surprise clear in his eyes when he saw him. Stiles blinked at the intensity of the gaze he was met with and quickly glanced down at the irritatingly well fitted suit, before clearing his throat. 

"Who died?," he asked flippantly, refusing to acknowledge any of the emotions churning in his belly. He wasn't sure what he expected the alpha to say, but he found himself cautiously stepping back when Derek squared his shoulders and clenched his jaw. 

"Alice," answered Derek icily before unbuttoning his jacket and loosening the sleek black tie. "If you'll excuse me, I have t-"

"Benedykt?"

Stiles froze as he heard the woman's hesitant, lightly accented voice behind him. He saw Derek glance over his shoulder and frown, but found himself paralysed by the slowly approaching footsteps of a woman he'd tried for years to expunge from his history. 

"Benedykt...is that you?"

Derek stepped around him and placed himself squarely at Stiles' back. His heart hammered inside his chest and he could feel sweat dripping down his back, glueing his tshirt to his back. 

"I'm sorry, ma'am," he heard Derek say and almost scoffed at the address; fucking Derek, so proper. "I think you're mistaken, my friend -" 

"Benedykt Stilinski, look at me right now." 

His spine stiffened at the command in the voice and suddenly he was six years old again, getting scolded for being too loud, too naughty, too hyperactive. His body moved before his brain had a chance to understand what was happening, and then he saw her, and it was as though he was back at home with the scent of his father's cologne still thick in the air. Derek moved to stand beside him, shoulder to shoulder, and he felt a strong hand grip his forearm. 

It shocked him that she had changed so little when the years had altered him so fundamentally. The only real change he could see was the one change that made his stomach turn even more than hearing her voice had; below the black silk of her blouse he could discern a protruding, rounded belly. 

"Hello, Benedykt," she said, sweeping her gaze up and down his frame curiously. So many years and just curiosity, he thought absently. 

"Hello, Mom."

 

TBC..........


	58. Chapter 58

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Stiles confronts his mother...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, many apologies for the late update but work and life and stuff - sorry! Anyway, I hope you enjoy the new chapter and please let me know if you spot any glaring errors as I am stupidly sleep deprived and am in no state to proof read. 
> 
> Thanks you so much for your amazing comments, which make my day, and the kudos. I'm so bad at responding to comments, but I will try harder! And thank you for sticking with this behemoth fic guys, really, I mean it's...long.
> 
> As always, this work is not beta read so all mistakes are mine. Happy reading folks :-)

"You must be Benedykt's alpha," his mother smiled sweetly, glancing down at the hand wrapped around his wrist. "I'm Claudia Harris, Benedykt's mother." 

His mother extended her hand in greeting, pursing her pink stained lips when Derek merely stared at the manicured hand blankly. His mother slowly withdrew her hand and narrowed her eyes, smiling icily and smoothing a hand over her rounded belly. 

"Well, it's not exactly the greeting I would expect from my son's alpha," his mother chastised, stepping forward and running cold fingertips across his cheek, "but then my son never was one for convention. Too much like his father in that sense." 

Yanking his wrist out of Derek's hold, he moved out of his mother's reach and wiped his cheek with the edge of his sleeve. 

"He's not my fucking alpha," he spat, ignoring the searing gaze of the man standing across from him. 

A young girl wearing a green sweatshirt emblazoned with the store's logo slowed down as she approached them, face alight with curiosity, and pretended to tidy a few sparsely packed shelves. His mother's expression hardened and memories of a childhood best forgotten came flooding back. 

"That is no way to speak to an alpha, omega. I am your mother. Apologise this instant." 

A memory of his father wiping tears from the reddened cheeks of a 5 year old Stiles flashed before him as his mother stood watching him with eyes too much like his own. 

'Come on kiddo, big boy's don't cry remember? Your mom...she's... just a little stressed today, but she loves us. Remember that, Stiles, she loves us.' 

It was as though he was back in his childhood bedroom, the one with the dinosaur bedspread and the stickers of cowboys plastered to the blue walls, listening to his father console him after his mother had yelled at him for spilling juice on her white sundress. 'Remember, Stiles, she loves us.' Right. 

"Fuck you, Claudia." 

He heard a choked laugh and looked up to see the young girl in the green sweatshirt giving him the thumbs up as she disappeared around a corner. His mother's cheeks reddened a little, but other than that, she remained shockingly calm, and he had to admit that her composure unnerved him more than screams of indignation would have. A tense silence fell over the three of them, stretching on long enough that he considered simply leaving. Fuck this woman; fuck her for loving him less because of what he was, fuck her for making him believe that he was less than any alpha or beta, fuck her for breaking his father in every way it was possible to have broken him, fuck her for leaving, fuck her for not caring enough to see if her son was ok for 9 years, and fuck her for having the audacity to introduce herself as his mother. FUCK HER. 

He shook his head in disgust and began walking away, curbing the seething rage that sat lava like in his stomach. Fuck her. She didn't even deserve his hatred. 

"I see your father did a wonderful job raising you. Is it any wonder I had to leave? Who would want an ageing, needy omega husband and a disobedient, ungrateful omega child? I always thanked God for sending Keith to me, for helping me to escape my dreary life with you and your father in that ramshackle little house. Thank you for validating my life choices, Benedykt."

He shouldn't have stopped walking at the sound of her voice, but he was his father's son, and he couldn't deny that this woman - fucking despicable as she may be - still had some power over him. So he stopped and he listened. 

Her words pierced his flesh and embedded themselves beneath his skin like shrapnel, already beginning the process of infecting the parts of himself that he'd kept hidden for years. Intellectually, he understood that biology did not equal family and that blood did not garuantee love, but nonetheless, the callousness of his mother's words shocked him. He stood frozen by a display of packaged dried fruit and blinked away the tears that clouded his eyes, hating himself for allowing his mother to revert him to a 5 year old snivelling idiot. 

He heard his mother sigh deeply behind him and tried to get his traitorous body to comply with the voice screaming in his head to turn around. Turn around, you pathetic asshole!! Turn around and tell this shitty excuse for a human being how little you needed her. Tell her that you're glad that she left. Tell her that her absence from your life has not defined it. Tell her that your dad's dead. Tell her that you were strong enough to take care of him till the end. Tell her that you survived. Tell her you fucking survived.

"What the hell kind of a mother are you?" 

He finally unfroze and turned around to see Derek, tie hanging loose and hair all messy, watching his mother with a look of utter disbelief on his face. 

"Dere-"

Derek shook his head at the interruption and advanced on his mother, who Stiles was surprised to see, had a bright pink flush crawling up her neck at Derek's approach. Perhaps even more surprising to him was his easy acceptance of Derek's outrage on his behalf; he had never, nor would he ever, need a white Knight to come to his rescue, but he kept his mouth shut because he had a feeling Derek's fury was born of something more than just anger at his mother's treatment of him. 

"Given that you are not my son's alpha, I don't think th-"

"I don't give a fuck what you think, lady," Derek cut her off, as he stopped half a foot away from her and folded his arms across his chest. 

Stiles found himself staring at the dark bags that circled Derek's eyes and felt a warmth wash over him. Derek had stayed - despite numerous opportunities to flee this familial shit show - he had stayed. He felt a familiar heat in his belly and quickly looked away from the alpha.

What the fuck was wrong with him?

 

**************************

Derek had allowed the scene to play out without interference because not only was it not his place to interject, but also because he didn't think that Stiles would much appreciate his input. The omega was not one to shy away from a battle, and from the look on Stiles' face, this would most certainly be a battle.

He'd been trying to deafen himself to the bullshit coming out of the woman's mouth but when he saw Stiles freeze, his shoulders stiffening and his knuckles whitening with how hard he was digging his nails into his palms, he found himself unable to play the part of silent bystander any longer. The words, incredulous and furious, had tumbled out of him of their own volition. 

"What the hell kind of a mother are you?"

The woman rolled her eyes, but he saw the flush climbing her neck and moved forward to look her directly in the eye. With the memory of Alice's funeral still fresh in his mind, he shut down the woman's pathetic protestation at his interference, and tried to articulate his fury into words he hoped would penetrate the alpha's thick skull. 

"That you think your abandonment of your husband and child is somehow justified because of their orientation is...so fucking stupid I'm finding it difficult to think of a word that encapsulates the true depth of such a mentally crude thought. Your orientation, alpha, is an accident of birth. You are not special. And you are not 'chosen'. Biology doesn't work that way, something I hope you come to grasp the closer you get to your birth date. Congratulations by the way, here's hoping it's not an omega, right?," he mocked. "That you were a bad mother and wife is not down to biology, lady, that's all fucking you. Your son," he pointed to Stiles but kept his gaze firmly trained on the red faced alpha in front of him, "is an omega, and he's one of the strongest, fiercest fucking people I've ever met. His orientation does not define him and it doesn't give anyone a licence to treat him, or any fucking omega in that case, like shit. His attitude doesn't validate your life choices, lady, your life choices validate his attitude." 

The loaded silence that followed was broken by a slow clap that emanated from somewhere behind the now ashen faced alpha infront of him. Her chest and neck was still flushed a bright pink, which only served to highlight the paleness of her cheek and the tightness of her jaw. The slow clap got louder and he finally tore his eyes away from the white faced alpha before him to see a young girl wearing a green sweatshirt standing on a small stepladder clapping and smiling. His anger quickly fizzled away as he looked around the store and saw groups of people watching and whispering. The young girl was quickly pulled off the ladder by a chubby blonde man wearing a checked shirt and a shiny gold name badge, who looked irate and was already rebuking her rather loudly. 

His fizzling anger left a bone deep exhaustion in its wake and Derek sighed wearily. 

"Just leave already," he told Stiles' mother, using the last of his strength to infuse the directive with as much authority he could. The 'alpha voice' didn't always work with other alphas, but he felt a deep sense of relief when Stiles' mother simply turned around and began walking away. Feeling the beginnings of a headache, possibly even a migraine, he closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. God he hated migraines, a loathing shared by his mother, a fellow sufferer. Fuck, he thought reflecting on what had just happened, he really needed a 'good day'. His shitty streak was probably well into the high double digits by now.

Sighing, he opened his eyes and frowned when he saw Stiles' mother looming over the omega, one of her manicured hands resting firmly on his shoulder. Before he could do anything, he heard her speak and froze at the words. 

"You know, Benedykt, of all the things I thought you'd become, an easy conquest was not one of them. You're not mated to your gaurd dog, are you?," she asked, knowing the answer. "Used goods are always a hard sell, son, made even harder by humble foundations," the bitch told Stiles, moving her hand to cup his jaw and angle his face towards the light. "Be careful." 

The anger that coursed through him hit him so fast he became unsteady on his feet for a second. Done with playing nice with the pregnant alpha, he raced forward only to have Stiles glance at him and shake his head, effectively bolting his feet to the ground. 

Stiles stared at his mother for a long moment before grabbing her wrist and gently returning it to her side. He watched the omega rub his jaw and smile at his mother, who looked at him with narrowed eyes. 

"That's good advice, Claudia, but you know, I kinda like fucking that hulk of an alpha," Stiles told her, shrugging and smiling even wider. Derek felt his skin heat a little and cast his eyes downwards. "And given that that's what I'm made for, I figure I should enjoy it. And fuck do I enjoy it, Claudia, so, so, so, fucking much," he smirked, sharply enunciating each word, practically spitting them in her face. His mother looked at him in disgust but her disgust only seemed to spur the omega on. "In fact, we even have a few home movies of us rather creatively fucking, and since this has been such an amazing reunion, how about I give you a video for Harris?" 

Stiles lowered his head and, in a stage whisper, said "you know, since he liked looking at 'the goods' so much when I was too young to even know how to use them." 

Stiles' mother raised a hand to slap him but the omega held onto her wrist and clenched his jaw. The teasing, mocking omega of a few minutes ago had been replaced by a cold, hard young man whose every fibre radiated contempt. 

"Never again, alpha, you understand. Never."

With that, Stiles dropped his mother's wrist and moved aside to clear a path. His mother massaged her wrist gently, but said nothing further as she stomped out of the store. 

For a moment it was as though the entire store was holding its breath, and unsurprisingly, it was Stiles who broke the spell.

"Back to your regularly scheduled programming, folks." 

Within a few minutes, the huddled groups of spectators had disappeared, as had the irate manager and the applauding store clerk, until it was just Stiles and him standing in the middle of the vegetable and fruit aisle. 

And as was always the case around the omega, suddenly he had no idea what to say.

 

 

TBC.......


End file.
